Tears in Cyberheaven
by Lowrider
Summary: Koumi/Mishiro story. Formerly known as Izzy & Mimi: A Romance in Cyberspace.  Please review if you read.
1. Author's Foreword

Author's Foreword  
  
After years of fanfic writing experience I have learned that it's better to explain a few things up front and separately   
from the story instead of jamming it into the beginning and end of each chapter, hence my foreword here. Also it gives   
me a chance to be a little pretentious on the side, as if writing fanfics wasn't pretentious enough in and of itself.  
  
First, the standard disclaimer. I do not claim any creative right over the story or characters of Digimon, or any of   
the songs used in my stories. They are the property of their respective copyright owners, whomever they may be.   
Mmm...nice blanket statements help keep me all warm and stuff.  
  
Character age-wise, here's the scenario for my story here. Most of the Season 1 kids are seniors in high school, so   
they range between 17-18. Joe is 20 and in college, and the season 2 gang are all freshmen in high school making them   
about 14-15 except for Cody, who is about 12 or so. I am using their Americanized names primarily, though I do use   
some of their Japanese names as well. A little confusing perhaps, but not for fans of the series.  
  
Regarding me writing more in this series, that is only partially contingent on whether or not anyone actually likes what   
I've written here. I do have more planned, but I want to at least get the ball rolling on this series for now. Please   
note this ahead of time, I write for my own pleasure and no one else's. If some of you out there happen to like what I   
write, that makes me that much happier. But I do not write especially for fans of any particular characters or couplings,   
and I refuse to be pressured into doing so for that matter.  
  
A few quick Japanese notes out there, for you non-Japanese speakers. -chan is an affectionate ending used mostly for   
girls, though it can be somewhat trans-gender depending on the context it's used in. There is one scene in this story   
where one of the characters swears in Japanese. I will not translate it for you, mainly because it should be pretty   
self-evident what is being said. Even if it isn't, use your imagination and fill in the blanks. ;)  
  
This next note is to any of you who read my story here and happen to be a writer/fan of some of the yaoi couplings out   
there. Yaoi, for those who don't know, refers to male homosexual relationships. This story contains a small shot, by   
me, at one of the known yaoi couplings. This is intentional on my part, and is only meant to be a gentle rib, poking a   
little fun at stories that feature that coupling. I am not a homophobe, nor am I a gay basher; however, I am also not   
homosexual or bisexual, and while I have no problem with people who are, my stories will not reflect such themes. I am   
keeping my couples heterosexual because that is my personal preference. If you want to flame me about it anyway, see my   
note at the end of this foreword regarding flames.  
  
Now that we're past all that crud, on to the fun part. This story is a romance with some angst woven in as well. The   
featured couple here is Koushiro (Izzy) and Mimi, which is sometimes shortened to Koumi or Mishiro. Other couples that   
are of note are: Sorato (Sora and Yamato aka Matt), Takari (Takeru and Hikari, or TK and Kari), Kenyako (Ken and Miyako   
aka Yolei) and Tai and an original character of mine. This story is a companion fic that happens right along with another   
fic of mine, so if you've read the other one don't be too surprised if you see some scenes that are the same as in that   
story. That's done on purpose, and also to ensure continuity between the two stories.  
  
One other story convention of note, I'm throwing in that the DigiDestined kids, after the end of Season 2 and all, made   
a promise to each other not to interfere with or even visit the Digital World unless it were absolutely necessary. Best   
to leave well enough alone and all that. Besides which, they all want to try and live a normal life for at least a   
while. So no Digital World journeys here, and that's my reasoning why.  
  
This particular story I have opted to give a rating of 'R' for the following reasons: some adult language, very mild   
violence, and adult content in the forms of some mature conversation matter, some rather steamy kissing/makeout scenes,   
and references to sexual activity. This particular story is probably borderline 'NC-17' rating, but I don't get into any   
explicit description of actual sexual activity, hence the 'R' rating.  
  
Comments, suggestions and constructive criticism are welcome as always. Feel free to leave your comments at   
fanfiction.net, or e-mail to me at lowrider@mtfn.net. I always appreciate hearing from people about my work. Flames,   
however, will be summarily laughed at by me and then disregarded entirely. Thank you for reading all of this, and I hope   
you enjoy my story. 


	2. I Had a Bad Day Again

The tears wouldn't stop flowing forth. The sadness was too all encompassing. Her first   
boyfriend, the first guy she'd ever had any feelings for, had just dumped her for the most shallow   
of reasons: because she wouldn't sleep with him. She didn't feel it was right just yet, that they   
were rushing into things far too much. He lashed out at her, telling her that they needed this for   
their relationship to go any further. When she couldn't bring herself to go through with it, he   
dropped her like a bad habit and went right into the arms of another girl. Not before he'd done his   
best to make her feel like trash. The things he'd called her, and in front of so many people... it   
was all too much to bear. She had run home and locked herself into her room, only wanting to be   
alone in her sorrow.   
  
As she cried, she looked across to the computer that sat in her room. It was on, checking for e-  
mail periodically as it was constantly connected to the Internet. Almost unconsciously, she made   
her way over to her chair and sat down at it, calling up a chat room on IRC she visited often. She   
had to vent somewhere, and where better than in the anonymity of an Internet chat room? She   
summoned up enough will to stop her tears, and channeled her emotions from sorrow to   
unadulterated anger as she entered the chat room. She spoke to herself as she typed, as if she   
were speaking to the whole world.  
  
"This is a message to any boys around right now: YOU DISGUST ME! I hate your ever-loving,   
self-absorbed, depraved guts!!! You're all alike, and I was a fool to expect any different just   
because I thought I was in love! So screw you all, and I hope you all go to Hell!"  
  
Satisfied with her outburst, she exited the chatroom and pushed away from the desk, starting to   
sob again. In the midst of her sobs, she heard a sound come from her computer. In her haste to   
leave the chat room, she'd left her instant messager program open. She cursed inwardly,   
knowing it was someone from the chat room looking to shoot some bad mouthing back at her.   
Bracing herself, she scooted back up to her computer and brought the message up to view.  
  
MasterIzE: Mimi? I just saw your outburst there. What happened?  
  
"Izzy? Oh God..." Mimi said to herself. In her haste to vent, she hadn't even bothered to see who   
all was in the chat room at the time. Izzy must've seen what she typed.  
  
USAflowrgrl: I'd rather not talk about it right now, Izzy. I feel terrible enough as it is, and now I   
feel even worse knowing one of my friends was on the receiving end of my rant there.  
  
MasterIzE: Hey, believe me I've been around the Net a lot longer and a lot more than you. I've   
seen far worse in a chat room before and even have had far worse privately sent to me. Believe   
me, no offense was taken on this end.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Thanks. I appreciate hearing that.  
  
MasterIzE: So, pardon my continued curiosity, but what was that all about? Did somebody do   
something bad to you?  
  
USAflowrgrl: Michael dumped me.  
  
MasterIzE: Oh no! I thought things were going so well!  
  
USAflowrgrl: Yeah, well so did I. I guess that was pretty foolish of me, though, huh?  
  
MasterIzE: Why did he dump you?  
  
USAflowrgrl: That's something I'd rather not talk about right now, Izzy. It's really embarrassing.  
  
MasterIzE: More embarrassing than being de-pantsed by a basketball jock in the middle of the   
cafeteria?  
  
USAflowrgrl: Ack! You're kidding! Did that actually happen to you?  
  
MasterIzE: A couple days ago. I was really mortified. I've taken to having my lunches in the   
computer lab now. At least I can avoid being bullied, even if there's no one else in the room.  
  
USAflowrgrl: I'm sorry to hear that, Izzy. Still, it's not as bad as this. Believe me.  
  
MasterIzE: Wow, he really must've done something pretty bad then. Be glad I'm not there, then.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Why?  
  
MasterIzE: Because if I was, and I knew why he did it, I would probably flatten him on the spot.   
Nobody deserves to be treated like dirt, least of all you.  
  
Mimi sat stunned for a moment, seeing how Izzy was reacting to the situation. And he didn't even   
know the details of it! It was kind of touching, actually. Mimi shook it off for a moment, returning   
to the keyboard.  
  
USAflowrgrl: I wouldn't mind seeing that at this point, you know. At least one of my good friends   
would be around. It's hard being so far away from you all.  
  
MasterIzE: Hey, I'm always available Mimi. I'm never more than an IM or an e-mail away. I know   
it's not as good as being in person, but at least in a virtual sense you can always lean on me.  
  
Before Mimi could start typing again, strains of music began playing through her speakers. Izzy   
has started up an MP3 and had directed it to play over both of their speakers. It was the oldie   
song "Lean On Me". It got a giggle out of Mimi to see how hard he was trying to cheer her up.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Thanks, Izzy. I might just take you up on that offer. For now, I think I'm going to go   
clean up a bit. I need to get myself back in order.  
  
MasterIzE: Okay. Take care, and don't let things get you too down over there.  
  
Mimi turned her computer off after that and quickly changed into her bathrobe, heading for the   
bathroom. She stared at her face in the mirror for a moment. Her eyes were all red and stinging   
from all the crying, and her pink hair was a bit mangled. She looked at her hair with a touch of   
disdain. She'd dyed it pink a couple years back, just before she started dating Michael. Seeing it   
reminded her too much of him, and what she needed right now was a cleansing. She grabbed   
her good shampoo and set it in the shower, turning the water on to run very hot. She shed her   
robe and jumped on in, scrubbing herself thoroughly with her soap first. Then she set to her hair,   
washing it repeatedly until the pink color began to fade away. After about a half hour's worth of   
work, she exited the shower and wiped off the now fogged over mirror to see that her hair was   
back to its natural dark brown color.  
  
"A definite improvement, if I do say so myself." she said to herself. "Now I'm hungry, though. I   
guess being emotionally distraught works up an appetite."  
  
After drying off and putting on some comfortable clothes, Mimi snuck downstairs though her   
house quickly and into the kitchen. Her parents were busy watching TV, and she didn't want   
them on her case about all the bawling she'd been doing before. She grabbed a can of Coca   
Cola and a bag of pretzels and headed back to her room, locking the door behind her again. She   
sat on her bed, munching on pretzels as she thought for a while. As much as she didn't want to   
remember it all again, Izzy deserved an explanation of it all. She took a sip from her Coke and   
sat back down at her computer again, powering it up and then typing out an e-mail to Izzy that   
explained it all. She could feel tears threatening in her eyes again as she wrote, but she   
managed to finish it without crying again and sent it off to him. After that, she shut the computer   
off again, finished her Coke and some more pretzels, and then decided to nap for a little while. It   
had been a long day, but at least it had ended a little better. She absently wondered what Izzy   
would say when he read her email as she drifted off to sleep.  
  
***************************************************  
  
"The nerve of that... oohhhhh, how could he possibly be that stupid?! I've got half a mind to.... oh   
what an unbelievable bastard!!!" Izzy yelled as he paced back and forth in the park. He'd met up   
with Ken and Yolei as they'd been the only ones available for him to talk to. It had instead turned   
into a ranting and raving session for Izzy, who had just a couple hours before read Mimi's e-mail.   
He had been yelling his head off for a couple minutes now, and it was starting to scare Ken and   
Yolei.  
  
"Um, Izzy? If you don't stop yelling like that you're going to hurt yourself." Ken told him, trying to   
start to calm him down.  
  
"I'd rather hurt the moron that hurt Mimi! But I can't do anything because she's half a globe away   
from here!" Izzy shot back.  
  
"Izzy, you've got to start calming down! You're scaring us and you're freaking everyone else   
around here out big time!" Yolei said sternly. "Now take some deep breaths and chill out!"  
  
Izzy stared back at Yolei hard for a moment, only to take a seat on the park bench next to Ken as   
he continued to fume.  
  
"Believe me, I don't like it any more than you do, Izzy. Mimi's like a sister to me, but we can't do   
anything about it." Yolei told him after he'd sat down.  
  
"Right, so let's just try and calm down and be a bit more civil about all of this." Ken said, his voice   
still its normally, soothing tone.  
  
"I guess you're right. Sorry I snapped like that at both of you, I just read that e-mail and it set me   
off like nothing else ever has." Izzy said as he took a few deep breaths, calming down.   
  
"No kidding. I never thought you and Mimi were that close, Izzy." Yolei said.  
  
"Well, I've never thought ill of her that's for sure. And she's certainly treated me nicely when she's   
been around. We're close friends and all, and I just don't stand for anyone, let alone a close   
friend like her, to be treated like garbage like that." Izzy said, still trying to contain his anger. He   
looked over at Ken, who was almost too calm for Izzy's tastes. "What would you do if someone   
did something despicable like that to Yolei, Ken?"  
  
'Well now there's a loaded question if I've ever heard one.' Ken thought to himself. "I, uh,   
honestly don't know Izzy, because I don't think anyone would be foolish enough to try."  
  
Ken could tell that Izzy was pretty well set on being angry and decided that hanging around him   
wasn't going to do any more good at the time.  
  
"Well, Yolei, we'd better get going if we're going to hit that store before it closes." Ken told her.   
Yolei looked at him puzzled for a second, but decided to play along nonetheless.  
  
"Okay, Ken. You two got another hot date, then?" Izzy asked with a smirk. Ken just smiled back   
and gave an 'OK' sign to him as he took Yolei's hand and walked off. Izzy grabbed his backpack   
and began to wander home on his own, for that matter.  
  
"Ken, why are we leaving now? Izzy needs some serious talking to, he's halfway to psycho over   
this!" Yolei said in a concerned tone.  
  
"Because it's obvious Izzy's mind is elsewhere right now, and us trying to preach to him isn't   
going to accomplish anything right now." Ken said flatly. "Mimi's e-mail must've really hit a chord   
in him. I've never seen him that angry."  
  
"What about that time he fried his laptop's motherboard?"  
  
"Yolei, this is no joke. Izzy is really troubled right now over Mimi."  
  
"I know, I know. It's really uncharacteristic of him. I can't help but wonder..."  
  
"Wonder what?"  
  
"Do you think he, you know... likes Mimi?"  
  
"I don't know, Yolei. Have you ever known Izzy to show interest in anything not computer-  
related?"  
  
"There's a first time for everything, but I shouldn't have to tell you that."  
  
Yolei bumped up against Ken playfully, giggling as she did. Ken was knocked off balance   
slightly, but laughed in return as he caught her, his arm around her shoulders. The two continued   
to walk along, their conversation turning to more personal matters.  
  
**************************************************  
  
'I don't know what's bothering me more, knowing what happened to Mimi or knowing I can't be   
there for her in person.' Izzy thought as he walked home. 'For that matter, I don't know anyone I   
could possibly talk to about it. I feel bad that I couldn't be more civil around Ken and Yolei, but at   
the same time I can't get past this.'  
  
Reaching the train station, Izzy produced his rail card, running it through the machine quickly and   
stepping through, heading for his train home. Once on board, he slumped into a seat and stared   
out the window.  
  
'Why, though? Why can't I get past this? I mean, I journeyed with Mimi before in the Digital   
World. Bad things happened to us back then, too, and I never reacted like this. Why am I   
reacting differently now? Mimi's always been a good friend, and I've always thought well of her.   
She never treated me badly, or at least any worse than anyone else ever has. I guess I kinda like   
her...'  
  
Izzy stopped himself and smacked his head hard, groaning for a moment.  
  
'Okay, Izumi, get that thought out of your head right now! Get real. You're the ultimate computer   
nerd, and she's the beautiful supermodel type. You stand a snowball's chance in Hell of actually   
getting together with her. And that's not to mention the fact that she's on the other side of the   
world! So don't get any stupid ideas in your head about liking her more than a friend, because   
face facts. Stuff like that just doesn't happen to guys like you. Ever.   
  
'And yet... I still want to be there for her. Well, there's always the Internet. As much as that   
counts for anything. I'll just try and keep an eye out for her online, and do what I can to try and   
keep her cheery. After all, that's what friends are for.  
  
'Besides, what could possibly come of it, anyway?'  
  
**************************************************  
  
It was a few days later, and Mimi had just gotten to school. She was in the midst of getting   
together her books for her first couple of classes when her trio of friends stopped by her locker.   
Nina, Janice and Carrie gathered nearby, looking a bit worried for their immigrant friend.  
  
"You been doing okay, Mimi?" Janice asked.  
  
"As well as can be expected, I guess." Mimi replied, continuing about her business.  
  
"Are you sure you're not holding anything back?" Nina asked, stepping closer to her.  
  
"Nina, I wouldn't hide anything from you guys. You know that."  
  
"If that's the case, then why has your phone line been busy the past couple of nights? We've all   
been trying to call you, but can't get through!" Carrie told her. Mimi bit her lower lip; Carrie always   
had had a tendency to be a snooper of sorts.  
  
"Well, I've uh...been doing some stuff online is all. Just some research for a project is all." Mimi   
said, coming up with as good a fib as she could. She could tell her friends were not convinced   
and laughed nervously. "Um... would you believe I'm downloading music? No? Well..."  
  
As Mimi was about to spill the beans about why she'd been online so much lately, she happened   
to look past her friends to see Michael heading towards them with another girl practically hanging   
all over him. Mimi recognized her immediately as one of the school's more notorious girls, in a   
manner of speaking. She felt a mixture of sickened and hurt as he approached.  
  
"Well well, hello there Mimi." Michael said. His voice practically dripped with venom. "And hello   
to you too, girls. I just wanted to stop by to say 'hi' and introduce you to my new girlfriend, Robin.   
We just started going out a couple of days ago, and I think we've really hit it off."  
  
He stepped past the other girls, leaning closer to Mimi as he spoke some more, knowing exactly   
what it would do to her.  
  
"And you know, she does things for me that no one else ever did. Or at least, someone else   
never did." he said, his voice a low tone. Robin just giggled in the background, sounding like the   
air brain she was. Michael laughed a bit as well, continuing his barrage. "And she makes me   
feel so good, too. But you wouldn't know anything about that would you Mimi?"  
  
Mimi shook inside, doing her best to maintain her composure on the exterior. She managed to   
look up at Michael for a moment. She couldn't deny that part of her still felt drawn to him, though   
she knew he would probably never feel that way again.  
  
"I'm happy for you, Michael." she managed to saw in a hushed tone, just above a whisper. "Now   
excuse me, I need to get to class."  
  
Mimi turned and began to walk away, trying to put it all out of her mind. Michael continued his   
barrage as she walked away.  
  
"Yes sir! She makes me very happy!" he announced to the entire hall. "She's a real Wonder   
Girl!"  
  
Mimi almost choked as he said that. "Wonder Girl" used to be his pet name for her when they   
were going out seriously. Mimi just shut him out of her mind as he continued to rave in the   
background, wishing her first class were just a little closer so she could get away from him. Upon   
finally reaching the classroom, which was still empty because class didn't begin for another 20   
minutes, she slumped over on her desk, unable to contain her emotions any more. Now Michael   
had not only dumped her, but also had gotten right together with another girl who'd done exactly   
what he'd wanted Mimi to do for him. And he'd just thrown it in her face. Mimi felt more hurt than   
ever as she sobbed, alone, in the classroom. Now more than ever, she wished even just one of   
her old friends was nearby. Any of them would do, but one in particular.  
  
"Izzy...help me, please..." she whispered to no one in particular as she continued to cry.  
  
***************************************************  
  
MasterIzE: I'm sorry to hear all that, Mimi. I wish there were something I could think to say to   
make things better...  
  
USAflowrgrl: I know, Izzy. For that matter, I don't think there's anything you could just say to   
make things better right now. Michael just threw that right in my face this morning, and I've got a   
good feeling that he's going to keep at it for a while at least. He seems to be getting a kick out of   
making me miserable.  
  
MasterIzE: I'm sorry.  
  
USAflowrgrl: I mean, where did I go wrong? We went out when he wanted to, we saw and did   
almost everything he wanted to, I was completely devoted to him! And when I held out on one   
thing from him, he tosses me aside like a used tissue?! Why? It doesn't make any sense...and   
I'm so confused...  
  
MasterIzE: I'm...no, I can't say it anymore.  
  
Izzy shook with anger as he sat in the computer lab, chatting with Mimi over lunch. He couldn't   
take it anymore, seeing how hurt Mimi was over all of this. If he had to measure a guess, his face   
must've been totally red with anger at that moment.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Izzy?  
  
MasterIzE: How dare he! I've got half a mind to come through the Digital World right now and   
introduce him to the business end of my fist! Or maybe I'll bring Tentomon with me instead! See   
how he likes dealing with MegaKabuterimon!  
  
USAflowrgrl: It'll be alright, Izzy...  
  
MasterIzE: I can't stand for this, Mimi! I won't stand for it! No one deserved to be treated like   
that, least of all you!  
  
USAflowrgrl: Izzy, calm down, okay? There's nothing we can do about this right now. I won't   
accept you coming over here just to beat him up, and at the same time I know if I try to retort to   
him it'll only make things worse. I know you don't like it, but it'll pass with some time. Just   
please...don't get angry.  
  
MasterIzE: I'll be right back, I gotta get another milk from the cafeteria.  
  
Izzy stood up from his computer, storming down to the cafeteria. He tried to work out his anger in   
his mind as he went, though it still bubbled inside of him as he made his way up to the counter   
and paid for another carton of milk. As he made his way back, one of the basketball players tried   
to sneak up on him to do what had been done to him once before in the middle of the cafeteria.   
Izzy caught sight of him out of the corner of his eye as he walked, and it was all too much for him   
at the moment. The moment he felt that pair of hands reach for his sides, Izzy whirled and   
connected with a right cross on the player, flooring him and bloodying his nose. The entire   
cafeteria stopped and stared at the sight as Izzy stood over him, his eyes wild, his breathing   
shallow but audible, his face contorted with rage. He brushed his hair back a bit and turned,   
leaving the cafeteria for the computer room again.  
  
Upon returning to the computer, he noticed that Mimi had signed off already while he'd been   
gone. Izzy cursed aloud and hurled the milk he'd bought into the trashcan nearby. He sat at the   
computer, his head in his hands as he tried to come to terms with it all. As he finally began to   
calm down, his faculty supervisor entered the room, putting a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Izzy, I'm sorry. The principal wants to see you about your actions in the cafeteria." he said. Izzy   
took a deep breath and nodded to him. He powered down his computer and headed out of the   
computer lab, ready to accept whatever punishment was coming to him for lashing out like he did.  
  
'I guess we're about even now, Mimi.' he thought as he made his way to the principal's office.   
'We've both had really crappy days now.' 


	3. Nothing Ever Stays the Same

When Mimi didn't see Izzy online for a couple of nights, she got a bit worried until she got an e-  
mail from him, explaining his absence.  
  
To: USAflowrgrl@aol.com  
Subject: Absence  
  
Mimi,  
  
Sorry I haven't been on recently, but after we last chatted while I was having   
breakfast...well, let's just say I took my frustrations out on a hapless basketball player who   
tried to de-pants me in the cafeteria again. I ended up with a couple days' worth of detention,   
and my folks grounded me from my computer until the weekend. I'm writing this to you late at   
night and in secret, and I've got to do a bit of work to get rid of the evidence. So please don't   
respond to this e-mail, and I'll try to catch up with you this weekend sometime.  
  
Izzy  
  
Mimi just shook her head. She had a feeling something must've happened, but she had no idea   
Izzy would actually lash out like that. Part of her felt he should've exercised some restraint and   
not acted so stupidly, so...so male! And yet it was the other part of her that dominated her   
thinking. That was the part that knew if he'd been with her, it would've been Michael on the   
receiving end of his rage. She let herself daydream for moment about just that, finding a strange   
satisfaction in imagining the scene. Izzy defending her honor in the middle of the school, and   
then turning to her and taking her in his arms and...  
  
Mimi quickly shook her head vigorously, losing that image quickly. Izzy had always been a nice   
friends, but a bit too geeky for her tastes. Even the last time she'd seen him in person he was   
more or less the same. To her, it was a bit of a shame. She'd always kind of found him a bit cute   
beneath all of his nerdy ways. She sighed, knowing there wasn't much hope for him unless he   
started to try and come out of his shell a bit. She happened to glance back over to her screen   
and noticed there seemed to be a little more to Izzy's message than what she'd seen before.  
  
P.S. I know I acted stupidly, but I was honestly upset about what Michael did to you. I   
just wish I knew a way to cheer you up again, Mimi. I much prefer your normal, cheery self, and   
I want to do whatever I can to help you get back to that point. Granted, my capability to do that is   
a little limited because we're so far apart, but I'll find something. I promise that I'll help you   
get your mind off of him.  
  
"Thank you, Izzy. For a nerd, you can say very sweet things..." she said to herself as she filed   
the e-mail in a special folder so she could look at it whenever she wanted to. Her heart felt a bit   
warmer now, and she looked forward to the weekend when she might be able to speak to him   
again online.  
  
**********************************************  
  
It was Saturday, it was raining, her friends were all unavailable and she was still kind of   
miserable, so Mimi decided to turn to the one outlet she had left to vent her frustrations:   
EverQuest. She'd never fancied herself a gamer of any kind, but she enjoyed the game more or   
less and had had an account for some months now. She only had one character, a female High   
Elf Magician named Jerihandra. She was about mid-level range, and had some decent   
equipment, though nothing spectacular by any means. She was now in an area of the game   
known as the Lake of Ill Omen and was hunting things on her own, and doing rather well for   
herself. Channeling her anger and frustration from the week was certainly paying off as she   
reminded herself just how therapeutic the game could be.  
  
Mimi looked around a bit and spotted another target, a sabertooth tigress. An easy kill, but she   
wasn't terribly worried about experience right now. She cast a spell at it, damaging it and then   
sent her Fire Elemental after it to fight for her. As she prepared to cast a follow-up spell to help   
finish off the tigress, something hit her hard from behind. She whirled quickly to see a goblin   
warlord right there, attacking her.  
  
"Oh crap, I can't take him on! He's too strong!" she muttered to herself as she tried to retreat past   
her elemental for some help. That got the goblin off of her for the moment, but just as the tigress   
went down the goblin finished ripping through the elemental and continued its pursuit of her. Mimi   
ran, trying to get back to a safe location. She sent out a couple yells for help, but no one seemed   
to be reacting. Her health was diminishing rapidly, and she knew she wouldn't last much longer.   
She was down to a sliver to health and cursed to herself, not looking forward to having to recover   
her corpse where it was. She waited for the finishing blow to come crashing down, but it never   
did. She turned around to see a male High Elven Paladin named Yevinar Strongheart was taking   
on the goblin warlord and winning. She made her way back and cast a couple of spells to help   
out, and soon thereafter the goblin was no more. Mimi sighed in relief, glad to still be on her own   
two feet. Yevinar then turned to face her.  
  
Yevinar tells you 'Are you alright, milady? Oh, a foolish question, of course you're hurt. Here,   
allow me.'  
  
He did something quickly, and suddenly Mimi's health bar refilled completely.  
  
You tell Yevinar 'My thanks, kind sir, but you didn't have to use your Lay on Hands for my sake.'  
  
Yevinar tells you 'A lady was in peril, and harmed! I am sworn to do all I can to protect, especially   
those of my own homeland, not to mention of such beauty...'  
  
Mimi giggled at how gallant he was acting and had her character emote that she was a bit   
embarrassed at his compliments  
  
You tell Yevinar 'I had feared that chivalry was long dead. My thanks for restoring my faith in   
those old, and might I add not often enough practiced ways.'  
  
Yevinar tells you ''Tis not dead, m'lady. But there are more than a few heathens about these   
days. I feel I must make up for their slack.'  
  
You tell Yevinar 'That is rather sweet of you kind sir. Well, I do need to rest up a bit to regain my   
magical powers. Thank you again.'  
  
Yevinar tells you 'I shall accompany you to a safe place, then. Perhaps the windmill? There are   
usually a few other people gathered there as well.'  
  
You tell Yevinar 'Oh, I would not think to deter you from your journey, sir knight.'  
  
Yevinar tells you ''Twould just be another step along the way, m'lady. I would be honored to   
accompany you for a bit.'  
  
You tell Yevinar 'Then I would be happy to be accompanied by you, my knight.'  
  
Yevinar bowed to her, and she followed him back around a ways to the windmill where the two   
sat and rested. Mimi had her character Meditate to regain her magic power faster, and the two   
continued to chat for a while in character. They played a bit at having a budding romance   
between the two of them, and Mimi was more than happy to lead him on a bit.  
  
You tell Yevinar 'I am truly indebted to you for my life, my knight. I wish I could make it up to you   
somehow...'  
  
Yevinar tells you 'All a part of my solemn duty to protect and serve the general populace, dear   
lady. I was happy to do it, as I would gladly lay down my life for you again someday if need be.'  
  
You tell Yevinar 'I would be most sad if you had to die for me, my knight, so please do not say   
such things.'  
  
Yevinar tells you 'As you wish, dear lady. I would not wish to burden you with such a thought.'  
  
You tell Yevinar 'Thank you. I have been burdened with quite enough as of late.'  
  
Yevinar tells you 'Oh? Is it anything you would wish to speak about?'  
  
You tell Yevinar '(ooc) It's RL stuff, believe me I'd rather not go into it all again. The short version   
is, my ex-boyfriend is scum and a good friend of mine got in trouble over it all.'  
  
Yevinar tells you '(ooc) I...see. Sorry to hear it, but I'm sure it will all work out. Your friend   
sounds like he meant well.'  
  
You tell Yevinar'(ooc) Yeah. I'm hoping to catch up with him again later on. We'll see. Shall we   
get back in character?'  
  
Yevinar tells you '(ooc) Sure thing.'  
  
Yevinar tells you 'I would be honored to travel with you for some time, dear lady, if you will have   
my company.  
  
You tell Yevinar 'Very well then. Let us sally forth in Tunare's name, my knight!'  
  
Yevinar tells you 'Prodigious!'  
  
Mimi giggled at him for a moment, and then stopped, looking intently at the chat screen.  
  
You tell Yevinar 'Wait a second...I only know one person who uses that word...'  
  
Yevinar tells you 'Uh, did I say that? I meant, proctological! Or wait, no that's not... eheheh...'  
  
You tell Yevinar 'Izzy?!'  
  
Yevinar tells you 'Hi Mimi! Long time no see! ^_^;;'  
  
You tell Yevinar 'Just how long were you going to keep your identity a secret?'  
  
Yevinar tells you 'Hey, we were in character! I didn't want to throw things off. Sorry.'  
  
You tell Yevinar 'No, that's okay. This is kinda fun actually.'  
  
Yevinar tells you 'I never would have pegged you for an EQ player, though, Mimi.'  
  
You tell Yevinar 'Hey, every day in my life can't be a social function. Besides, I just feel like   
drawing in right now you know?'  
  
Yevinar tells you 'All too well. Well, we can at least vent our frustrations here online, and in   
character. How does that sound, dear lady? -_^'  
  
You tell Yevinar 'Sounds just fine to me, my knight.'  
  
Mimi then had her character emote that she hugged him and smiled at him as well.  
  
You tell Yevinar 'Thanks for everything Izzy. It means a lot to me to have someone there to help   
me through these times.'  
  
Yevinar tells you 'I'm happy to do it. Now c'mon, let's go hunt us up some goblin!'  
  
You tell Yevinar 'All right!'  
  
Mimi now had a Water Elemental following her around, and she commanded it to follow her as   
she took off behind Izzy. The two spent several hours hunting together all over the area. They   
received a few invitations to join other groups, but declined them all. They just wanted to hunt   
together. By the end of it all, they had a few more platinum pieces to show for it and Mimi's   
character gained a level as well. After they both signed off of the game, they got together again   
over normal chat.  
  
USAflowrgrl: That was more fun than I've had recently. Thanks again for helping me out, Izzy.  
  
MasterIzE: Glad I could be of service. I had a fun time, too. We should do that again sometime,   
when you're not busy with other things.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Maybe next Saturday, same time?  
  
MasterIzE: Sounds good to me. :)  
  
USAflowrgrl: Heh, kinda funny if you think about it.  
  
MasterIzE: What is?  
  
USAflowrgrl: In a way, we were just on a date, and we just scheduled ourselves to go on another   
one.  
  
MasterIzE: I wouldn't exactly call getting into a game and killing things a "date" per se, Mimi.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Oh I know, I'm just generalizing is all.  
  
MasterIzE: Still...  
  
USAFlowrgrl: Hm?  
  
Mimi could tell Izzy was hesitating on something. As she waited for his response, she wondered   
what he could be holding back.  
  
'He almost sounds like he's afraid to say something. Could he maybe...no, get that idea out of   
your head again Mimi! He'd never...would he?'  
  
On his own end, Izzy continually tried to type what he felt, but pulled away from the keyboard at   
the last second.  
  
'Are you insane, Izumi? Get it through your think skull! You and her mix like water and   
chocolate. It just doesn't work! It would never work! You're a total loser, and she's...she's just   
so...what is she to me? I don't know, I just...'  
  
MasterIzE: It's nothing. It's really kinda late over here, I guess I'm beginning to hallucinate. I'll   
talk to you some more tomorrow, Mimi.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Okay, you get some rest Izzy. Oh, and one more thing.  
  
MasterIzE: Yes?  
  
USAflowrgrl: Thank you for the "date", and for being so sweet before as well. I liked it. {{{Izzy}}}  
  
Mimi added the brackets around his name to let him know that at least in a virtual sense she was   
hugging him. She knew she'd probably never get the chance to do something like that in person,   
but she figured that he'd know the sentiment was there. She logged off and decided to call up   
her friends for a bit.  
  
Half a world away, Izzy crawled into bed and quickly passing out, his dreams filled with only him   
and Mimi, and her hugging him as she just had online. It was the best sleep he'd gotten all week.  
  
***********************************************  
  
Another Saturday rolled around, and Izzy and Mimi met up in EverQuest yet again. Mimi seemed   
a lot more focused on killing things this time around, and afterwards Izzy set back to chat with her   
yet again.  
  
MasterIzE: You sure were a bit more aggressive than usual there. Anything going on?  
  
USAflowrgrl: Just imagining everything we killed was Michael and his sweet little Robin is all.   
  
MasterIzE: They're still being a problem?  
  
USAflowrgrl: It's like they take every opportunity they have to make out in the halls here, in the   
hopes that I see them. It's starting to get disgusting. :P  
  
MasterIzE: Well, do what I do when I see people making out in the halls.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Which is?  
  
MasterIzE: Mentally replace their heads with fish heads. It certainly makes it a bit funnier to see,   
and often times it's not too far off either.  
  
Mimi took a second to do just that, and the resulting image sent her into a fit of giggles.  
  
USAflowrgrl: ROTFL! I'll have to do that next time. Thanks!  
  
MasterIzE: Think nothing of it. :)  
  
USAflowrgrl: Izzy, can I ask you something?  
  
MasterIzE: Sure, fire away.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Before I left Japan, you started to get kinda quiet and introverted. Was anything   
going on back then?  
  
MasterIzE: Kinda. I don't like to bring that part of my life up very often, but since it's you I'll talk   
about it.  
  
USAflowrgrl: You sure?  
  
MasterIzE: Yeah. Don't worry. See, around that time I started getting bullied on a daily basis by   
a large group of boys, and even some girls.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Oh no!  
  
MasterIzE: I'd get beat up a bit by the boys, and the girls would beat me up verbally. I think I was   
called everything from a geek, nerd and dweeb to some things that didn't even make sense to me   
back then. Like hedgehog head.  
  
USAflowrgrl: They must've made you feel horrible! But why didn't you ask any of us for help?  
  
MasterIzE: I didn't want any of you to suffer likewise or worse. That'd make me only feel even   
worse. And if they focused on me, then no one else would get hurt either. I can't stand to see   
other people be hurt.  
  
USAflowrgrl: That's no reason to hold that all in, though, Izzy! No wonder it seems like all you do   
is computers.  
  
MasterIzE: Turning to computers gave me a sense of anonymity. I could be who I wanted to be,   
and no one online would judge me on anything other than based on who I was.  
  
USAflowrgrl: How long were you bullied?  
  
MasterIzE: Who said it ever stopped? I still get some of it now, from some of the same people. It   
just doesn't faze me anymore. I guess you could say I'm numb to it.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Izzy...it's never a good thing to be numb. You've been hurting for so long...  
  
MasterIzE: I manage. At least I can help my good friends like you cheer up. That's what helps   
me out most, helping my close friends.  
  
USAflowrgrl: But...that's not...  
  
Mimi could feel the hesitation in her. She wanted to finish typing what she was thinking, but the   
strength had left her hands.  
  
'That's not fair to you, Izzy! You shouldn't have to suffer so others can be happy! It's not fair, and   
it's not right!' she thought, a bit of anger welling up inside of her. 'You keep saying I don't deserve   
to be treated like garbage...but no one deserves to be treated like that, least of all you!'  
  
Mimi looked back up at the screen, returning to her chat, still trying to sort out her feelings.  
  
MasterIzE: It's not healthy, I know, but I'm beginning to think it's my role in life. At least it ensures   
that I'll never get an ego about anything. ;)  
  
'And yet he still acts so nice...so noble, even. It would be so easy for him to be completely cold-  
hearted and callous after all that's happened to him, and yet he's still as nice and warm to me as   
ever. I wonder...'  
  
USAflowrgrl: Hey, Izzy, do you have a girlfriend?  
  
MasterIzE: LOL, nice one Mimi. Like I'd ever find someone who could put up with a nerd like me.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Never say never, Izzy. That's all I'll say about that.  
  
'Am I honestly starting to feel this way for Izzy?' Mimi thought after she finished typing. 'And   
would that necessarily be so bad? Calm yourself down, Mimi. He probably doesn't even think   
about you that way anyway. Even so, I can't shake this feeling. Oh, I wish I could see him just   
once so I would know for sure.'  
  
The chat session continued on for some time, turning to more lighthearted matters shortly   
thereafter. Mimi still found herself idly wondering about Izzy, and trying to discern what her   
feelings for him were now, or at least what they were becoming. 


	4. Plans, Plans and more Plans

Izzy slumped into the chair in front of his computer, parts of his body still aching. At least it was a   
Friday, so he had the weekend to recover. He'd lucked out, and no one was home when he'd   
gotten there, so he just went straight to his room and powered up his computer. At least they'd   
left his hands alone, so he could type. He got on and instantly was greeted by just who he'd   
wanted to hear from.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Hey there! How's life treating you today?  
  
MasterIzE: Fine, I guess.  
  
USAflowrgrl: You guess? Izzy, what's wrong?  
  
MasterIzE: It's...you're going to bug me until I tell you, aren't you?  
  
USAflowrgrl: Especially now that I'm sure something is wrong. What happened?  
  
MasterIzE: Remember I said I took out my frustrations on one of my would-be tormentors a   
couple weeks back? Well, they decided to get a little revenge on me today after school.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Oh, Izzy!  
  
MasterIzE: Don't think anything is broken, I'll be fine. At least I can take the weekend to recover.  
  
USAflowrgrl: So why are you online? You should be resting!  
  
MasterIzE: What? And miss talking to you? This is honestly the high point of my day, Mimi.  
  
USAflowrgrl: You can't keep doing this to yourself, Izzy! You can't just ignore yourself and worry   
only about other people! I mean, don't you think they might worry about you for a change?  
  
MasterIzE: No one ever has in the past. Why would that be different now?  
  
USAflowrgrl: Damn it, Izzy, it IS different now! *I'm* worried about you!  
  
'Did I just...' Mimi thought as she looked at her screen. She then touched her face and noticed   
that she'd started to cry.  
  
'Did she just...' Izzy likewise thought, reading what she said to him.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Well I am worried about you, Izzy. I worry because I care about you. Just like I'm   
sure all the others care about you too. You really need to get some help on this before something   
really bad happens to you. I don't know how I'd feel if something really bad happened to you.  
  
MasterIzE: Thanks, Mimi. I just wanted to get on just in case you'd had another bad day or   
something. I worry about you too, after all. That's what you do for someone you care about.  
  
'I think that came out right. I honestly don't know if I'm thinking straight right now, though. I   
should sign off and clean up, then get some rest.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Go take care of yourself, Izzy. I'll see you tomorrow for some EQ, right?  
  
MasterIzE: Yeah. Take care. Later.  
  
Izzy powered down his computer and hit the shower shortly after that, cleaning himself as best he   
could. He touched his bruises gingerly, as they still sent sharp pains through him. Once finished,   
he put on a pair of boxers and a loose t-shirt and curled up into his bed, quickly falling into a   
deep, dreamless sleep.  
  
***********************************************************  
  
"So let me get this straight. For the past two weeks you've been consoling Mimi online after she   
and Michael broke up, and now you think you're beginning to have feelings for her?" Joe asked   
as he sipped his coffee.  
  
"That's it in a nutshell. So tell me, Joe, am I going insane or am I just being stupid?" Izzy asked.   
The two had met at a coffee house near Joe's college for a bit at Izzy's request.  
  
"Izzy, I think you're just acting like how you think would be best for her, and there's nothing wrong   
with that."  
  
"That's not the point, Joe. I'm worried it might start to look like I'm trying to pick her up on the   
rebound, which I'm not mind you."  
  
"I doubt anyone sees it that way, least of all Mimi."  
  
"How can you be sure?"  
  
"Because we're all friends, Izzy, and we all want what's best for Mimi. You're acting out of your   
friendship towards her, nothing more or less."  
  
Joe finished his coffee and set his mug down, then pulled himself closer to the table.  
  
"Now be that as it may, that's also not to say that you're not beginning to have deeper feelings for   
her either." he said.  
  
"You lost me on that one, Joe."  
  
"The best relationships start as friendships, Izzy. There's almost a natural progression of things   
from there, really. You may be acting out of just pure friendship right now, but that's not to say it   
won't turn into something else on its own. And that, my friend, is something you have little control   
over."  
  
"And what about her? How do I know she might even begin to reciprocate?"  
  
"I think Mimi would've said something to you by now if she didn't think she could feel that way   
about you, too."  
  
"All this set aside, I know it can't be for real."  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"Because, Joe! Come on, don't be silly!" Izzy said, getting frustrated. "I'm a...  
  
"...total loser-geek type and she's everything but?" Joe said, filling in his sentence for him.  
  
"Yeah. Something like that."  
  
"Since when has that ever mattered when it came to matters of the heart?"  
  
"Since when have I ever been versed in matters of the heart?"  
  
"There's no book to follow by, Izzy. There's no rules or guidelines that say 'this person can only   
love this person' or 'these two people are completely wrong for each other', contrary to whatever   
you might have stuck in your head. If something is meant to happen between two people, it'll   
happen. It has happened before, and it will keep on happening, regardless of barriers like social   
status, race, belief, or even geographical location."  
  
"Maybe you have a point..." Izzy said, beginning to admit that Joe was making sense. "But even   
so, Joe, she'd on the other side of the planet from me. And with the Digital World being as   
dangerous as we know it can be, along with the fact that we all made a promise to not disturb   
things there unless we needed to, there is practically no chance of her and me ever getting   
together."  
  
The two of them sat in silence for a while, until Joe checked the clock and grabbed his bag.  
  
"Look, I've got to go. I have a study session in half an hour." he said.  
  
"Okay. Thanks for coming out to meet me." Izzy said, cleaning things up a little.  
  
"Hey, I wouldn't be good 'ol reliable Joe Kido if I didn't." Joe said as he stood up. He adjusted his   
bag a little, looking at Izzy one more time before he went. "Just one more bit of advice, Izzy.   
Never say never, fate has a strange way of making things happen. You might be surprised   
yourself sometime."  
  
"Heh, Mimi said the same thing to me once. I guess we'll see. See you around, Joe." Izzy said,   
his tone skeptical. Izzy put his jacket on and began heading back to his home, thinking about   
what Joe had told him. Amidst it all, one negative thought still nagged at him in the back of his   
mind.  
  
'Get real, Izumi. Things like that just don't happen to guys like you.'  
  
***********************************************  
  
"You guys are kidding, right?" Mimi said, staring at her parents in disbelief.  
  
"No, Mimi, we're not kidding. For the tenth time, we're not kidding!" her father said, beginning to   
get a little annoyed at her questioning.  
  
"The time is right, we have the money and we've been meaning to do it anyways. So we had a   
talk last night, and we're going through with it." her mother told her with a smile. "We're taking a   
week's vacation in Japan."  
  
Mimi could feel her heart leaping as the reality of it sunk in. When it finally dawned on her that   
they meant it, she hugged her mother and gave her father a big kiss on the cheek, and then ran   
straight up to her room, turning her computer on.  
  
"That girl sure has some weird priorities these days." her father said, watching his daughter take   
off so quickly.  
  
"Are you sure about all this, dear? Why didn't you tell her the real reason for this?" Mimi's mother   
asked as she looked at her husband.  
  
"Because I'm not sure about it yet, honey. This trip is necessary for just that reason." he told her   
as he slouched into his chair.  
  
"I just hope she doesn't get suspicious of it is all."  
  
As a matter of fact, suspicion was the farthest thing from Mimi's mind at the moment.  
  
"C'mon, c'mon! Stupid machine! Turn on faster!!" Mimi said, getting quickly frustrated with her   
computer. As soon as it was on, she brought up her instant message program and thanked her   
lucky stars. Izzy was on.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Izzy! Are you available?  
  
A long, tense moment passed as she waited for his response. She'd been communicating with   
Izzy for almost 3 weeks straight now, and by now not a day went by that she didn't chat or e-mail   
him. He had truly been a pillar for her through this entire ordeal, and her feelings for him had not   
just awoken, but had changed over time. And with her parents' news for her, she knew what she   
wanted to do more than anything else.  
  
MasterIzE: Sorry for the delay, I was just getting another new MP3. You wouldn't believe how   
hard it is to find a decent version of The Crystal Method over here these days.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Save it, Izzy, I have a surprise for you! ^_^  
  
MasterIzE: A surprise?  
  
USAflowrgrl: My parents just told me, we're taking a week's vacation in Japan! Can you believe   
it??  
  
MasterIzE: You're kidding! Mimi, that's great! We'll all get to see you again! It's been so long,   
too...  
  
USAflowrgrl: I know. I'm still having trouble believing it myself. There's one thing, though.  
  
MasterIzE: Oh, let me guess, only one day for all of us right?  
  
USAflowrgrl: No, actually I'll be able to see you guys all week if I want. We'll be staying in   
Odaiba.  
  
MasterIzE: Then what is it?  
  
USAflowrgrl: Izzy, I'll just be straightforward about this... I want to go out with you.  
  
MasterIzE: Well I'm sure everyone will want to go out with you as well.  
  
USAflowrgrl: I meant 'you' singular, Izzy. As in I want to go out alone, with you, on a date. A real   
date. Just you and me.  
  
Izzy sat looking at Mimi's last message to him over and over again. He rubbed his eyes, pinched   
himself, and even slapped himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.  
  
MasterIzE: Mimi... I don't know what to say...  
  
USAflowrgrl: You've been so nice to me and everything since Michael dumped me and all, Izzy. I   
can't help the feelings that I have for you now. I'm very fond of you, and I want to spend time just   
with you while I'm in Japan.  
  
MasterIzE: I... I have to admit, that I've grown very fond of you too Mimi. I've only dreamed of   
actually going out with you... and I'd give anything for that dream to come true. I'd be honored to   
go out with you.  
  
Mimi blushed a little at seeing Izzy's little confession of his feelings for her. She worried for a   
second that maybe it was too soon to think about dating again, but that was quickly dispelled by   
her overwhelming desire to be with Izzy.  
  
MasterIzE: Oh, I wanted to mention that I scanned that photo you wanted a few days ago. I'll   
send the picture over now, hang on.  
  
Mimi held her breath for a moment as she watched the picture load on her screen. She'd asked   
Izzy for a recent picture of him so she could see how he looked these days. He sent a picture of   
himself in his school uniform, smiling a small smile. Mimi felt her heart leap again.  
  
"My goodness, Izzy, you're rather handsome now..." she said to herself, smiling. Now she looked   
forward to the trip even more.  
  
MasterIzE: So when is the trip?  
  
USAflowrgrl: Three weeks away. We come in on a Sunday and we leave the following Sunday. I   
thought maybe we could go out the Saturday before I leave.  
  
MasterIzE: Sounds good to me. I'll mark that on my calendar for sure. Get me the flight   
information too, and I'll make sure to meet you at the airport. I'll just keep an eye out for a pink   
haired girl in American clothes. ^_^  
  
USAflowrgrl: Oh, I never told you, did I? I lost the color. I'm a brunette again.  
  
MasterIzE: That's great to hear! See, even if it is true that gentlemen prefer blondes, I personally   
prefer brunettes. ;)  
  
USAflowrgrl: Oh, so you're not a gentleman anymore?  
  
MasterIzE: I'm a gentleman by a higher standard, dear lady. :)  
  
USAflowrgrl: ::blushes:: Well, I'll let you get back to your files for now. I'll see you soon, my   
knight. ::blows kisses::  
  
MasterIzE: I'll count the hours.  
  
Mimi shut down her computer shortly after that and flopped onto her bed, closing her eyes and   
sighing. She grabbed her huge body pillow and hugged it tightly, imagining it were Izzy as she   
did. Three weeks would be quite some time to wait, but she could hold out for it. That would also   
give her a chance to plan things out just right for that matter. She idly wondered how Izzy was   
reacting to it all, considering he was still at school. Then she remembered what happened the   
last time she wondered that and for a moment she thought she could hear his cheer from halfway   
around the world.  
  
And half a world away, Izzy didn't disappoint her as he celebrated by dancing all about the   
computer room, cheering at the top of his voice. He didn't care who saw him, he was simply   
ecstatic about it all.  
  
***********************************************  
  
It was Wednesday at school, and Mimi was getting ready to head home. Her friends walked with   
her towards the parking lot, discussing about the date she'd set with Izzy for when she was in   
Japan.  
  
"...and he says the sweetest things, and is just the most perfect gentleman ever. He's gone out of   
his way to help me feel better in these weeks, and since I'm going to be over there anyway, I   
want to spend some time with him." Mimi said, finishing her story about Izzy.  
  
"Talk about a whirlwind. You sure you're not rushing things, girl?" Nina asked.  
  
"I used to be friends with him when I still lived in Japan, Nina. It's not like he's a stranger."  
  
"Well I think it's great to see you getting back to your normal self, Mimi." Carrie said. "And I think   
I speak for all of us when I say we all wish you luck on your date."  
  
"Though I'm guessing you can subtract one person from that list." Janice said as she pointed up   
ahead. Mimi looked over to see a dejected-looking Michael leaning against her car. Janice   
leaned over to her friend. "Need some backup?"  
  
"No, Janice. I think I've got this one covered." Mimi said, stepping up ahead of the others. She   
walked over to Michael and looked him over. "You look down."  
  
"Robin dumped me for some football player." Michael said, looking over at her. "And I did some   
thinking, and I was wrong before."  
  
"Oh were you?"  
  
"Yeah. I'm really sorry. I don't know what I was thinking, Mimi. I need you back. Will you take   
me back?"  
  
"Oh, and I suppose you'll just want me to come right up to you..."  
  
Mimi dropped her backpack as she sauntered over slowly to him, narrowing her eyes and smiling   
slyly at him.  
  
"...wrap my arms around you like this..."  
  
She hung her arms around his neck, just like she used to.  
  
"...say, 'Anything for you, baby!', and pull you in for a big, deep, passionate kiss."  
  
She pulled him closer, her lips almost touching his. He smiled to himself at seeing how easy this   
was, but then she stopped and pulled away from him a little.  
  
"Well guess what?" she said. He looked at her quizzically, still smiling. Without warning, Mimi   
thrust her knee up into his groin as hard as she could. The blow sent the breath out of Michael   
and he doubled over in excruciating pain. As he sank to the ground, Mimi grabbed him by the   
hair, pulling his head up so she could look at him, her fact now contorted into a look of disgust. "I   
don't hang around with sluts like you. So go crawl into a gutter and go to Hell for all I care,   
Michael. You treated me like crap for four weeks, and now it's my turn! Sayonara, kono kuso   
bakayaro!"  
  
After shooting that Japanese insult at him, she drew back her hand and slapped him hard across   
the face, leaving a large red mark. She then stepped back, picking up her backpack, and looking   
over at her friends.  
  
"I'd give that one a 9.5." Nina said, holding up a number card with a 9.5 on it.  
  
"Are you kidding? She stuck the landing! 10 all the way!" Carrie said, holding up a 10.  
  
"Gotta go with the crowd here, 10 hands down!" Janice added, also holding up a 10. Mimi smiled   
and bowed politely before her "judges" only to wave goodbye to them again, get in her car and   
drive home. She felt she was finally past all of her pain, and now it was time to move on to   
something better. Something a whole lot better.  
  
*******************************************  
  
Two and a half weeks passed, and with them came even more chats with Izzy. He didn't stop   
being his normal nice self to her, nor did he alter things much at all save perhaps giving her a   
virtual hug before they would part ways online. The two of them grew more and more fond for   
each other as the time of the trip came closer. It was the Wednesday before Mimi left for Japan,   
and this time she wasn't online with Izzy, but her best friend in Japan, Sora Takenouchi.  
  
USAflwrgrl: And that's the whole story, Sora.  
  
Wolfluvr: That sure explains the guy Izzy punched out in the cafeteria a while back. He broke his   
nose, you know?  
  
USAflowrgrl: Whoa! Izzy told me he "vented his frustrations" on someone, but he never   
mentioned that!  
  
Wolfluvr: Yeah, we were all pretty amazed. I hope you guys have some fun together.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Actually we'll be going out twice. The first time we're double dating with Tai and this   
new girl, I think Yuki is her name?  
  
Wolfluvr: That's great I'm sure it'll be fun. I can't wait to see you together, though, I think you'll be   
such a cute couple!  
  
USAflowrgrl: That's honestly that last thing I'm worried about, though I have to say, Izzy sure has   
become rather handsome hasn't he?  
  
Wolfluvr: Don't ask me, I've got my honey. :D  
  
USAflowrgrl: I know, I know. He sure doesn't look like the Izzy I remember, though. And he's   
been so nice and caring and sweet to me and all.  
  
Wolfluvr: It makes me happy to hear all that, Mimi. I'm sure you'll have a good time.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Actually, Sora, I need to talk to you about just that.  
  
Wolfluvr: Huh?  
  
USAflowrgrl: See, I know what all Izzy's been through not just recently, but over the years. He's   
told me of all the teasing he used to get, and the bullying and all. It almost broke my heart to hear   
how badly he's been treated in the past.  
  
Wolfluvr: Yeah, Izzy's had a rough time of it. But what does that have to do with you guys?  
  
USAflowrgrl: I need some advice, because I know you have a little experience in this area. See, I   
don't just want us to have a good time...I want to give Izzy a "good time" if you catch my   
meaning...  
  
Mimi blushed profusely as she admitted her plans to Sora. It was pretty ironic that her situation   
with Michael would lead to her wanting to sleep with Izzy, but she couldn't deny her feelings for   
him anymore. She wanted to do something for him, and this was the best idea she had come up   
with.  
  
Wolfluvr: You want to sleep with him!?  
  
USAflowrgrl: Well...yeah. I do.  
  
Wolfluvr: And you're sure you don't think you're rushing things a bit?  
  
USAflowrgrl: Sora, I can't deny how I feel! He has given and given to me without even thinking   
about himself, and that's just not fair at all. I honestly think...I'm falling in love with him.  
  
Wolfluvr: All of this just from chatting with him online?  
  
USAflowrgrl: I know it looks bad, Sora. But I've been over this at least a hundred times in my   
head and I'm certain of myself. I want to do this, for him and for myself I guess.  
  
Wolfluvr: When are you planning on doing this, anyway? When will you have that kind of free   
time?  
  
USAflowrgrl: The night before I leave Japan. I've got a good deal of this planned already.  
  
Wolfluvr: Then let me guess, you want some tips from me on how you can please him?  
  
USAflowrgrl: Well...yeah...  
  
Wolfluvr: Mimi, I just want to know one thing for certain: are you sure you're not just rebounding   
from Michael?  
  
USAflowrgrl: I'm sure, Sora. I liked Michael before, I cared for him a lot. But the feelings I feel for   
Izzy, they're so much stronger! It's almost overwhelming!  
  
Wolfluvr: Okay, Mimi, no need for so much detail. I believe you, I really do. He must really have   
romanced you, huh?  
  
USAflowrgrl: I'll show you my chat logs sometime, and you can see for yourself.  
  
Wolfluvr: Well, then, let's get down to business shall we?  
  
Over the course of the next hour or so, Sora and Mimi went over several different points, all of   
which got Mimi's face to turn about 3 different shades of red. If she did end up going through with   
this as she planned, neither she nor Izzy would ever forget that night. 


	5. Vacation, Part One: Hello All Over Again

Izzy paced back and forth at the airport terminal, stopping every thirty seconds or so to check   
either his watch, the flight status monitor, the sky outside the nearby window or the gate itself.   
Inwardly he thanked his lucky stars that he wasn't a smoker, because he probably would've gone   
through a few packs by now.  
  
"Um, Izzy? You're starting to wear a groove in the floor. Not to mention attract attention." Yuki   
said as she watched him pace.  
  
"Has anyone heard a news report recently? How about the control tower, what do they know?"   
Izzy asked back, worrying himself silly.  
  
"Settle down, man, the plane will get here soon enough. It's not like the US is just around the   
corner after all." Matt told him. "Remember, we did get here two hours early at your request."  
  
Izzy looked out over the rest of the assembled DigiDestined. Tai sat between Davis and Yuki as   
they talked about the soccer season. The team had only played 3 games so far, but were   
undefeated in all their games, and the three were strategizing for the next game. Sora was   
leaning against Matt, who was hugging her from behind as they stood against a support pillar.   
Cody had his Gameboy with him, and was linked with Ken's as they played some competitive   
game as TK ran back and forth watching both of their screens. Kari and Yolei sat facing the   
gates that Mimi would be coming through, chatting away as two best friends usually did.  
  
"You all didn't have to come, though. I just wanted to be early in case the plane was early." Izzy   
replied. 'And so I could be the first one to see Mimi. Now I'll be lucky if she even notices I'm here   
with everyone else here.' he added to himself in thought.  
  
"Planes are rarely early, Izzy. If anything, it'll probably be a little late." Yolei told him. The   
darkened look on Izzy's face that followed indicated to Yolei that her advice hadn't been very well   
timed.  
  
"Attention please... Flight 1290 from Minneapolis now arriving at Gate G8..." an announcement   
over the PA system said. The announcement set everyone into motion, and soon enough they   
were gathered along the wall facing the gate. Matt made it a point to make sure Izzy stood in   
front on him, so he'd be more easily seen. Izzy frantically looked himself over, checking to make   
sure he looked halfway decent.  
  
"You look fine, Izzy, calm down!" Tai told him.  
  
"I still think I should've dressed a bit nicer. I mean, I feel like a bum right now!" Izzy replied.  
  
"This isn't the Academy Awards, Izzy, we're just waiting for our old friend Mimi to show up." Sora   
reminded him.  
  
Izzy acknowledged her words and worked on just breathing, trying to calm himself down. It was   
just Mimi after all, who he'd chatted with almost every day on the Internet for the past six weeks.   
The same Mimi whose personal crisis had become his own crisis as well. The same Mimi that he   
was going to have a date with by the end of the week. Nothing major would probably happen,   
after all. What would be any different with her in person?  
  
************************************************  
  
Mimi tapped her foot impatiently as the plane taxied towards the gates. Her seatbelt was already   
undone, and she was silently cursing that the plane couldn't get to its gate any sooner. She   
looked across the aisle at her parents, who were patiently waiting for the plane to stop.  
  
"Mom? Dad? Mind if I try to get out ahead of you guys?" she asked.  
  
"Anxious to see your friends again?" her father asked back. Mimi bit her lower lip a little, and   
then just nodded, smiling. Her father laughed a bit to himself. "Alright, I see no harm in it."  
  
"Thanks! I really appreciate it, dad." Mimi said, smiling. A few moments later the plane came to a   
stop and the door opened, and Mimi made her move, climbing over a couple of seats to get   
ahead. She was indeed anxious to get off the plane to see her friends, but one friend in   
particular. And she had a surprise in store for that friend...  
  
************************************************  
  
Everyone began to cheer as they saw Mimi heading up the ramp way through the gate. She had   
on a tight, pink t-shirt with an embroidered heart in the middle and black jeans with white sandals.   
Her hair was its normal brown color, and was down at shoulder length. Everyone except Izzy   
moved up to greet her, Yolei being first.  
  
"Mimi, it's so good to see you again!" Yolei announced, hugging her friend and idol.  
  
"Same here, Yolei. Say, could you excuse me for a sec?" Mimi asked politely. Yolei nodded and   
stepped back a bit. Mimi walked on past her, waving to everyone as she did, and saying her   
hellos. She finally spotted Izzy standing towards the back and walked on over to him, dropping   
her duffel bag as she did. Her heart leapt into her throat as she saw him, standing there being all   
sheepish. He looked even better in person than the photo he'd scanned and sent her looked.   
She continued right on over to him, her mind set on her task.  
  
Izzy had never been more nervous in his life. Mimi looked so beautiful to him, and everything   
he'd been planning to try and say to her went right out the window. He searched for his voice,   
trying to say something, but could only stammer as she approached him.  
  
"H-h-hi Mimi, how're..." Izzy started to say. Upon reaching him, Mimi brought her hand up and   
put a finger to his lips, shushing him.  
  
"Hi yourself." she said with a smile. She then pulled him close and kissed him, full on the lips.   
Izzy felt like Tentomon had just sent a jolt straight through him, but quickly relaxed and returned   
the kiss, his arms reaching around her to hold her closer. The rest of the group just watched, half   
in awe, at the sight of the pair kissing in the middle of the terminal. The kiss lasted for about a   
minute, and then Mimi finally released it, smiling at Izzy again.  
  
"I've been waiting for six weeks to do that." she told him. She leaned in and gave him a quick   
peck on the tip of his nose, and then walked back and grabbed her duffel bag. The rest of the   
group shook off their dumbfounded ness and quickly moved back over to the two of them. The   
guys walked over to Izzy, who looked to have a strange look of utter satisfaction on his face, not   
to mention a smile that threatened to stretch completely around his head.  
  
"Izzy? You in there?" Cody asked, waving his hand in front of Izzy's face.  
  
"How're you feeling now?" Davis asked.  
  
"Absolutely prodigious..." Izzy replied in a dreamy toned voice. Matt gave Izzy an encouraging   
pat on the back, only to make room for Mimi who returned to Izzy's side, taking his hand in hers.  
  
"Mom and dad will catch up with us at the baggage claim. Let's walk." she said. Izzy seemed to   
spring back to life again and nodded to her.  
  
"Oh, let me take that for you." he said, reaching over for her bag. Mimi released her grip on it,   
letting Izzy carry it for her.  
  
"How gentlemanly of you Izzy! Michael never even so much as held a door open for me when we   
were dating." she said, her voice a bit bitter about her ex-boyfriend.  
  
"The nerve of him!" Izzy said indignantly. As Izzy again began to fume over how Michael treated   
her, Mimi switched a bit and hugged his arm instead of just holding his hand.  
  
"Let's not talk about him anymore, 'kay?" she said, smiling at him.  
  
"Talk about who anymore?" Izzy said, quickly moving on. Mimi giggled at his quick change.  
  
"Precisely." she said. She continued to talk with Izzy as they headed for the baggage claim.  
  
"So, that's your friend who moved to America?" Yuki asked Tai quietly as they followed along.  
  
"Yeah, that's Mimi. She can seem a bit fickle, but she's always sincere about her feelings. She's   
been a good friend to us all." Tai told her.  
  
"With how she's acting around Izzy I almost feel bad that we're coming along with them."  
  
"Oh, they worked that out already. They're going out a second time the following night, on their   
own though."  
  
"Wow... they must've really hit it off well."  
  
"Yeah. Makes me almost curious what they've been chatting about online."  
  
Yuki nodded in agreement for a moment, only to shudder a moment later simultaneously with Tai   
as their minds quickly had hit the gutters. Some things were best left unknown.  
  
The group headed down to baggage claim and mixed in with all the other folks waiting for their   
luggage. Soon after, Mimi's folks caught up with them and they all said their hellos to the   
Tachikawas. Izzy, in particular, did his best to make a good impression, though Mimi's parents   
already seemed to have a good opinion of him. They gathered their bags and then headed out to   
hail a taxi.  
  
"Well, I have to go for now so we can get to our hotel." Mimi told everyone in. "We'll hang out   
more tomorrow, guys."  
  
"Good to have you back for a while, Mimi! We're all looking forward to getting together again."   
Yolei told her. Mimi smiled and gave Yolei one of her trademark peace signs, which Yolei   
returned in like.  
  
"See you later, Mimi." Izzy said with a smile.  
  
"Where do you think you're going? Aren't you coming with us to dinner, Izzy?" Mimi asked. Izzy   
suddenly felt the blood drain away from his face.  
  
"You mean... with you family... and all?"  
  
"Of course, silly! Now come on, or are you going to abandon your gentlemanly ways and make a   
girl carry her own bags to her room?"  
  
Izzy had a sudden sinking feeling at the thought of having a meal with Mimi's folks and all it   
meant, though seeing the smile on Mimi's face helped hi   
which he returned as well before hopping into the cab next to Mimi. The group watched the taxi   
zoom away before heading back through the airport for the train station.  
  
The ride to the hotel was a little tense for Izzy. Mimi's father was in the front seat with the cab   
driver, and her mother was on her other side. Izzy did his best to scrunch himself into as small a   
space as he could occupy, not wanting to seem too forward with their daughter. Mimi, for her   
part, certainly wasn't worried about it and when the opportunity presented itself, she reached over   
to him, placing her hand on his and squeezing a bit. Izzy looked over at her, and she smiled at   
him, as if to reassure him that everything would be fine. Izzy relaxed a little bit, turning his hand   
over to hold hers in return, and quietly enjoyed the remainder of the ride to the hotel.  
  
************************************************  
  
Dinner with the Tachikawas went pretty well. Izzy still came across a bit nervous and flustered,   
he thought, but there were no disasters and that's what he'd been shooting for. After dinner,   
Mimi's parents let her stay with Izzy for a while as they headed up to their room.  
  
"Remember, Mimi, not too much later. You need some sleep, you hardly slept on the plane   
over." her father told her.  
  
"I'll be up in a little while, dad. G'night!" Mimi replied, waving to her parents. As they headed up   
to their room, she and Izzy headed out of the hotel and walked around the small park that was   
part of the hotel's grounds. It was simple enough, but it did have a few trees, some nice flowers   
and a small fountain. Mimi's hand found Izzy's again as they walked.  
  
"So how's America these days?" Izzy asked, unable to think of anything else to say.  
  
"Just fine, all things considering. Izzy, you don't need to worry. My folks are probably fast asleep   
by now, and no one else is out here." she told him, squeezing his hand a little more.  
  
"I know." he said, stopping and turning to face her. "It's like a dream come true for me, you   
know? I mean, I never would have thought I could possibly be this lucky, to be able to see you   
again and all."  
  
"Luck had nothing to do with it, Izzy. This was all meant to happen, I'm sure of it."  
  
"If that's the case, then I hope you don't mind this. It just seems like I can't help myself, so maybe   
that means this was meant to happen too."  
  
Izzy stepped closer to her and took her into his arms, reveling for a moment in the pure simple   
pleasure of holding her. Mimi, for her part, draped her arms over his shoulders. Her eyes   
seemed to shimmer to him in the dim light of the park. Izzy leaned in close, his lips touching hers   
in a kiss he'd been dreaming of for too long. Mimi welcomed the kiss, returning it with great   
fervor. Her hands ran through his short hair, and she moaned softly as she felt his hands run up   
and down her back. Mimi decided to be a little more daring, and she pushed her tongue past his   
lips. Izzy was surprised at first, but quickly picked up on what she was doing and did his best to   
emulate her actions, their kisses quickly becoming more passionate. Mimi moaned a bit more,   
pressing herself close up against Izzy. Izzy likewise moaned a bit, feeling some of the curves of   
her body as she pressed up against him. After a couple of minutes, Mimi began to slow her   
kisses down. Izzy picked up on this and slowed down as well, until they kissed one more time   
and then parted, both of them catching their breath. Both of their faces were flushed with color.   
They gazed wordlessly into each other's eyes for a bit, reveling in their closeness.  
  
"Mimi...that was incredible...I've never felt, or done, anything like that...!" Izzy said as he tried to   
catch his breath.  
  
"See what you miss out on sitting behind that computer all day?" Mimi replied, smiling at him.   
"And there's more where that came from, I promise."  
  
"Could I just...hold you for a little while longer, Mimi?"  
  
"I'd like nothing more."  
  
Izzy closed his eyes as Mimi rested her head on his shoulder. Her hair had a hint of lilac in it,   
which he found to be extremely pleasant. Mimi found him to be extremely warm and just enjoyed   
the closeness.  
  
"I'm glad you're here, Mimi. I can only hope this week doesn't go by too fast." Izzy finally said   
after several moments. Mimi looked up at him and smiled, stroking his cheek gently.  
  
"Iz...no, I can't keep calling you that. Koushiro..." she said in an affectionate tone. "I think this   
week will be memorable for the both of us, my knight. My Koushiro."  
  
****************************************************  
  
The next day was a school day, and at lunch this time Izzy came to the table as well, joining the   
others once again. Needless to say, everyone was a bit surprised that he wasn't spending his   
lunch in the computer lab again.  
  
"I couldn't stay sitting in front of a computer screen. It just wasn't accomplishing anything today."   
he said, explaining himself as he took a bit out of his apple.  
  
"Last night must've gone pretty well at dinner, then." Matt said, looking down the table at him. "I   
don't remember a time when you were in such good spirits and it didn't have something to do with   
a computer, Izzy."  
  
"I tell you, I can't wait for the long weekend coming up here. That's not to say that I won't be   
spending all of my free time with Mimi anyways, but just especially this weekend. How about you   
guys, Tai?"  
  
"Oh, yeah! Absolutely!" Tai said after a moment. He'd been eating silently and trading looks with   
Yuki throughout lunch.  
  
"Me too, Izzy. I'll be glad to get out of the house for a while this Friday." Yuki added as she ate a   
french fry. The other three at the table had an inkling of what was going on between the two and   
just went about the rest of lunch normally.  
  
"Oh, Mimi did want me to tell you guys that she did want to go dancing when we go out. She said   
something about making sure you had clothes for going to a club of some kind or another. She's   
already helping me out and said she'd be more than happy to help you as well."  
  
"I think I'll be good, I have a couple of things I could wear." Yuki said, mentally going through her   
wardrobe.  
  
"I doubt I have anything like that. My clothes consist of..." Tai began to say.  
  
"Please, Tai, I just finished my lunch and the last thing I need is visions of your wardrobe." Matt   
said, interrupting him.  
  
"Oh, go jump off a bridge Matt." Tai said, not wanting to swear at the lunch table.  
  
"Well, you should come with Mimi and me tomorrow night then, Tai." Izzy told him.  
  
"I think I'd like to tag along for that as well, if you don't mind. It's been a while since I had a   
chance to go shopping last." Yuki added.  
  
Izzy thanked his lucky stars inwardly, as he was at least a little worried about shopping with Mimi   
alone. Now at least he wouldn't be going it alone.  
  
************************************************  
  
Izzy wavered a bit as he hung onto one of the bars on the bus. It was late, he was tired and had   
school tomorrow, and he'd just finished shopping with Mimi, Tai and Yuki for new clothes to wear   
to the club they were going to Friday night.  
  
"You sure you wouldn't rather sit, Koushiro?" Mimi asked. "I can stand just fine."  
  
"I'm fine, Mimi, really. Just a little tired is all. It's been a long day." Izzy said, shaking off the   
cobwebs a bit.  
  
"You didn't need to push yourself for my sake, you know."  
  
Izzy looked down at Mimi and smiled warmly.  
  
"For you, dear lady, I would cross a lake of fire just to bring you one single, perfect flower to   
adorn your head." he said in a mock gallant tone. Mimi giggled at him, acting like his EverQuest   
character would and played along a bit.  
  
"I would hate to trouble you so, my knight." she said coyly.  
  
"'Twould not be a trouble if it would mean I could bring another smile to your beautiful face." Izzy   
said as he went down on one knee, taking her hand in his and kissing it. "And I mean it, too,   
Mimi."  
  
"Oh Koushiro...you are such a sweet thing, you know?" Mimi said, blushing a bit at the treatment   
he was giving her. Izzy smiled at her and rose back to his feet as they continued on their way to   
the hotel. The two disembarked the bus upon arriving, and Izzy saw Mimi in to her elevator.  
  
"Well, I gotta buzz for now, Mimi. What do you want to do tomorrow? I'm open to ideas." he said   
as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.  
  
"I'd kinda like to do something you'd like to do, you know? It doesn't have to be anything special,   
I'd just like to see what your day is kinda like you know?" she said, leaning against the wall near   
the elevator.  
  
"My day? Heh, kinda boring subject isn't it?"  
  
"Even if it is, I don't want this entire week to revolve around just me, Koushiro. With Michael I had   
a one-sided relationship more or less, and I don't want that to happen again. You're just as   
important and just as much a part of 'us' as I am."  
  
"Well, then...sometimes I stop by a game center on my way home from school for kicks. We   
could stop by there for a bit and then head back to my place for dinner. I'm sure my folks would   
love the company."  
  
"Sounds fine to me. Now come here so I can bid you a proper 'good night'..."  
  
Izzy smiled and walked over to her. He leaned against the wall she was leaning against, placing   
a hand at her side. Mimi smiled up at him, bringing her hand up to caress his face a bit as she   
drew him close and kissed him, her tongue immediately seeking out and finding his. She could   
feel his hand at her side and smiled inwardly, seeing that he was willing to be a little more daring   
around her. Still, it wasn't quite enough for her. She wanted to start sending her signals out to   
him of what the week truly held in store for him, so she decided to help things on a little. She   
trailed her hand down from his face along his arm until it reached his wrist. She grabbed hold of it   
and slid his hand around her and down a little until it rested on her rear. She uttered a moan   
through their kisses at the contact and squeezed his palm a bit, getting him to squeeze her a little.   
  
Izzy's heart rate jumped at her actions, but he wasn't stupid enough to argue or resist. For that   
matter, he was reveling in all of the feelings and sensations that were being brought out in him.   
Every time he was around her it was like something in him that had been long frozen began to   
thaw and melt. It was a feeling he was getting quickly addicted to, and he couldn't get enough of   
it or her. He continued to kiss her deeply, caressing her rear as he did. He felt her reach down   
and start to do the same to him and almost jumped a little, but was too caught up in the heat of   
the moment to care how they looked.  
  
They broke off their kisses a short while later, and Mimi smiled at Izzy approvingly. Izzy looked to   
still be in a daze of sorts, but managed a smile back.  
  
"You're learning quickly, Kou-chan. That was even more enjoyable than last night's." she said.  
  
"So I'm 'Kou-chan' now?" Izzy asked, smirking a bit.  
  
"Sorry. I can't stand calling you 'Izzy' anymore, it's just not right to me. And I know it must be   
weird for me to use your full name all the time, so I made up a pet name for you. If you don't like   
it I can..."  
  
"No, no, that's fine. It can be what you call me, but only when it's just you and me. Around the   
others, just stick to 'Izzy'. Even if you don't like it, I'm pretty used to it by now."  
  
"Sounds like a fair trade. Well then, I'll meet up with you after school tomorrow then?"  
  
"Sure thing. I'll watch for you."  
  
"Okay, good night, my Kou-chan."  
  
Mimi kissed him one more time before pressing the button for her elevator.  
  
"Sleep tight, Mimi-chan." Izzy said, smiling at her. Mimi waved a little to him and stepped into her   
elevator as it arrived. Izzy sighed contentedly and headed out of the hotel for the nearest subway   
to get home, already thinking about how to handle dinner tomorrow since Mimi was now coming   
over. As he rode the subway back home, his thoughts turned to how things had progressed since   
Mimi's arrival.  
  
'Man... first she kisses me right off of the plane, then we started kissing in the park last night, and   
tonight we practically started making out in the hotel lobby! I hope none of this is going too fast   
for her. Maybe we'll just take it easy tomorrow night. I'll put in a movie and we can relax and   
watch that for a while. Yeah, that'll be nice, especially since my folks always turn in early. Just   
the two of us and a good movie.' he thought as he watched the lights pass by.  
  
'But I gotta say, I sure am enjoying all of this. Maybe Mimi's right...maybe I should get out a bit   
more often. I've hardly touched a computer all week so far since she's been here, and I'm having   
the time of my life. I wish this didn't have to end. But, best not to get greedy. I'll enjoy what I   
have while I have it, and we'll work out the details later I guess.'  
  
Izzy turned to reminiscing about Mimi and the past couple of days as the subway train spirited   
him back home. He had never been happier in his entire life, and he could only wish it would go   
on and on. 


	6. Vacation, Part Two: Tears in Heaven

As school let out the following day, there was a lot of murmuring as people looked at the girl who   
was standing outside the school gates, apparently waiting for someone. Mimi was dressed in a   
dark blue t-shirt and jean shorts with tennis shoes. She had figured that she wasn't dressed   
specially or anything, but nonetheless she was attracting several stray gazes. She hoped Izzy   
would show up soon, as she could begin to see a group of boys heading her way wanting to talk   
to her. Just before they got into talking range, Izzy popped around the corner. Her expression lit   
up immediately.  
  
"Sorry, Ken needed to get some of my old history notes and I couldn't find the file right away." he   
said.  
  
"No apologies necessary! All ready?" she asked.  
  
"Absolutely!"  
  
The two of them began to walk along, and Mimi could still feel the stares of the other boys around   
on the both of them. She smiled to herself and decided to give them all something to talk about.   
She jumped ahead of Izzy quickly and stopped, looking him over consideringly.  
  
"Is, um, something wrong Mimi?" Izzy asked, as he began to pick up on the attention they were   
getting.  
  
"Hmm...yeah, I think you're missing something actually." she said as she stepped up to him.  
  
"I am? What?"  
  
Mimi smiled and stepped right up to him, draping her arms around his neck.  
  
"This." she said just before kissing him. Izzy felt instinct kick in and kissed her back, his hands   
going to her sides, but not moving from there. They broke the kiss a moment later, and she took   
his hand. "There. Now you're ready to go."  
  
Izzy looked around a moment and saw the stunned looks on everyone's faces and smiled.   
Scenes like this usually only happened in the movies, but he didn't care. He walked off hand in   
hand with Mimi, leaving everyone stunned and talking about the spectacle.  
  
*********************************************  
  
Izzy was a regular at the particular game center they stopped at, and he did his best to introduce   
a few of his gaming friends to Mimi. The game of the day was Capcom vs. SNK 2, and Izzy took   
a seat as soon as his turn came up. Mimi stood behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders   
as she watched. She fancied herself as his "good luck charm" just like as if her were gambling,   
and watched as Izzy played. You could pick teams of 3, but Izzy only ever chose one character:   
Iori Yagami. And he was good with him. Very good.   
  
Ten games later, Izzy was still winning and Mimi was more or less his own personal cheerleader.   
She never thought she could get that much into a video game, but honestly watching him fight   
was exciting and fun to her. Especially when he pulled off his special moves. Izzy noted the time   
just then and figured it was time to go, so he purposefully lost his next match.   
  
The two said their goodbyes and headed out of the game center, continuing on to Izzy's home.   
As they walked, Mimi perked her ears up like she heard something in the distance.  
  
"Did you hear a rumble?" she asked.  
  
"I don't think so, although it is pretty cloudy." Izzy said, looking at the sky. Just then, there was   
another rumble from the sky, confirming their suspicions.  
  
"How far are we from you home?" Mimi asked.  
  
"A couple more blocks." Izzy said. "Never to fear, though, dear lady! I come prepared!"  
  
Izzy reached into his bag and produced a compact umbrella, which he quickly unfolded. They   
could both feel droplets of rain beginning to fall, so Izzy put it up. It wasn't a terribly big umbrella,   
but if they huddled close they could both more or less stay dry. Neither of them could complain   
about it for that matter, as sharing an umbrella was often a symbol of intimacy between a man   
and woman in Japan.  
  
They reached Izzy's home a short while later. Izzy was far more wet than Mimi was, which Mimi   
felt a little conscious about.  
  
"You should've used more of the umbrella! You'll catch a cold or something!" she said in a   
worried tone.  
  
"Nah, I'm fine. I'll just dry off and change clothes quickly. C'mon in, they're all expecting you."   
Izzy said as he opened the door. Sure enough, Mr. and Mrs. Izumi greeted Mimi as she entered   
and quickly made her feel at home as Izzy headed to his room and changed into a green t-shirt   
and a pair of black shorts. Dinner was Mrs. Izumi's now famous pineapple pizza, which at first   
some of the other kids had been hesitant about, but was now a favorite of anyone who visited   
Izzy's place. They all talked over dinner and caught up on times passed, and Mimi fielded   
questions about America that she was more than happy to answer for them.  
  
"Well, it's about time for us to turn in." Mr. Izumi announced. The clock only read 8:00 PM, but as   
Izzy said, his parents were notorious for turning in early. "Izzy, I'll trust you to see this fine young   
lady home and all."  
  
"I've got it covered dad, no problems." Izzy said as a crack of thunder echoed in the background.   
The rain outside had gotten a bit worse since they'd gotten home, and was now a full on storm.  
  
"Well it was pleasant seeing you again, Mimi. I hope your travels bring you back here again   
sometime." Mrs. Izumi said, bowing to her.  
  
"Thank you very much for the hospitality. I really appreciate it." Mimi said, bowing in return.   
Izzy's parents then turned in for the night, leaving the two of them to their own devices.  
  
"Wanna catch a movie?" Izzy asked as he crouched by their tape collection.  
  
"Sure, I'll let you pick." Mimi said as she sat on the couch. Izzy picked out his copy of the original   
Star Wars. Nothing special, but at least it was something they could relax and watch together.   
After putting it in the VCR and turning it on, he took a seat next to Mimi on the couch. Mimi was   
quick to lean against him, and Izzy put an arm around her as they sat and watched the movie.   
Everything was going along fine, until a particularly loud crash of thunder jolted them, and also   
sent the power out.  
  
"Oh great. So much for movie night." Izzy said, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Got any candles or anything?" Mimi asked.  
  
"Yeah, stay here and I'll find 'em." Izzy told her as he extracted himself from the couch. He felt   
his way around the apartment and found their set of emergency candles, lighting a couple and   
setting them on the coffee table in front of the couch for light. "You'd better call you folks and let   
them know we're kinda stuck here for now. No way am I going to take you out in this storm."  
  
Mimi nodded and grabbed the phone quickly, calling the hotel and asking for her room number.  
  
"Hi, mom? Yeah, I'm at Izzy's right now. The storm just got real bad, and the power's out. We're   
fine, but I'm going to stay here a while until things die down a little. At the worst, I'll just stay the   
night here and see you in the morning tomorrow. Okay? Love ya, bye!"  
  
Mimi put the phone back down and returned to the couch where Izzy sat, leaning back against   
one of the arms. She sat opposite him, leaning against the other arm.  
  
"So what's on your mind?" she asked.  
  
"Just idly wondering." he said. "I used to think that things like this couldn't happen to guys like   
me."  
  
"Things like what?"  
  
"You know, finding someone like you and falling for them and all. I thought love was a luxury I'd   
never be able to afford."  
  
'Did he/I just say 'love'...?' the both of them thought simultaneously. Both of them, suddenly a bit   
more nervous, sat up and looked at each other.  
  
"You shouldn't think things like that, Izzy. After all, love has a way of finding you..." Mimi said as   
she found herself inching closer to him.  
  
"I wouldn't know. I've never been in love before." Izzy told her, likewise moving closer to her.  
  
"Truth be told, neither have I." Mimi told him with a smile. "But I'm pretty sure it goes something   
like this."  
  
The two of them started to kiss, their kisses quickly turning deeper as their tongues met. Their   
hands met and locked together, their fingers interweaving with each other. Izzy managed to   
break off the kiss for a moment.  
  
"You sure we're not moving too fast on all of this?" he asked.  
  
"I don't care, just kiss me..." Mimi said breathlessly. She returned to kissing him, pushing him   
back a bit.   
  
Izzy let himself be pushed back, until he was stretched out on the couch. Mimi laid herself down   
on top of him, her hands roaming up to his hair, running through it and stroking it as she kissed   
him. Izzy's hands ran all up and down her back, and even to her rear. The storm continued to   
rage on outside as the two made out on the couch, oblivious to it all.  
  
'This is so intense...and I can't stop! I don't want to stop! Do I think I love Mimi? If I do...' Izzy   
thought as he lost himself in the moment.  
  
'This feels so right, and so good...who cares if this is considered 'going too fast', I've fallen head   
over heels for him.' Mimi thought. 'Time, then, to step things up even further. I just hope he   
doesn't freak out too much this time.'  
  
Mimi pushed herself up slightly, creating some space between the two of them, though she   
continued to kiss him. She slid her right hand down his left arm to the wrist again and slowly   
dragged it up her side. To her delight, he didn't try to struggle against her. She led his hand   
higher and higher, eventually sliding it under her to cup her breast. Her heart began to race, and   
she groaned a bit more audibly at the contact. Izzy felt the blood rush to his face, realizing what   
she was having him do. He held her a little closer with his right arm as he explored her breast   
with his left hand, fondling it gently. He felt her nipple begin to respond to his work through her   
clothing and let his fingers play over it gently a bit before returning to his main work.  
  
"Ahhh...Kou-chan..." Mimi moaned as she broke the kiss for a moment. The sensations that were   
filling her now were almost overwhelming. It was taking what little restraint she had left to not   
follow through with her ultimate plans right then and there. But the timing and location was totally   
wrong, and there was the danger that Izzy's parents would wake up and catch them, and that   
thought alone was enough.  
  
"Is it too much, Mimi-chan?" Izzy asked quietly, suddenly a bit worried.  
  
"No...kami-sama no...keep doing that, please...!" Mimi told him, closing her eyes. Izzy complied   
and continued with his ministrations as they intermittently kissed again and again. It all went on   
for what seemed like an eternity, until the both of them slowed down and stopped, both bordering   
on exhaustion. Mimi rested her head on his chest as she worked to catch her breath.  
  
"Did you mean what you said before, Kou-chan?" she asked. "Do you...love me?"  
  
"I...believe me, for a long time I tried to convince myself that it could never happen to me. But   
after all we've been through, and all the things we've shared up to now...well, let me put it this   
way." Izzy said. He lifted his head to look down at her as she looked up at him. Her eyes   
entrancing him yet again, as they always seemed to do. "If I'm not in love with you already, Mimi,   
I'm at least falling in love with you."  
  
"Kou-chan...that's funny, because I'm feeling the same about you..." she said, smiling up at him.   
Izzy could see a couple of tears forming in her eyes and wiped them away for her. "Oh, don't   
worry. They're 'happy tears', not sad ones. Believe me, these are tears I don't mind shedding."  
  
"If I had my way, they'd be the only kind of tears you'd ever shed, Mimi-chan."  
  
Mimi smiled and scooted up a bit, kissing him again gently. She then backed off of him and sat   
up. Izzy went to sit up as well, though he found he had to move a little slower than normal.  
  
"You okay?" Mimi asked, seeing his trouble sitting up.  
  
"Yeah, just fine. Just...er, um...it's kinda embarrassing, but let's just say other parts of me are,   
um, hindering me from sitting up right away." Izzy said, blushing profusely. Mimi had to stifle a   
chuckle as she quickly figured out what he meant. Izzy looked out to see the storm raging away   
relentlessly outside his door. "That storm isn't going to let up, you'd better spend the night here."  
  
"Okay, how should we handle this?"  
  
"Well, if it were anyone else I'd say you could have the couch and the spare pillow and blanket we   
keep for such occasions. However, since it's you, I know just what to do."  
  
Izzy stood up and headed over to the closet, grabbing the spare pillow and blanket and sitting   
back down on the couch.  
  
"I'll take the couch. You can have my room." he said.  
  
"Izzy! I can't do that!" Mimi said, her brow furrowing a bit.  
  
"I insist, Mimi. No way would I think of making you sleep out here, and my folks certainly wouldn't   
react well to finding us together for that matter."  
  
"But Kou-chan...!"  
  
"But nothing, Mimi. This is my choice."  
  
"Oh, alright then."  
  
Mimi got up from the couch, letting Izzy stretch out on it. She knelt by his head as he settled in,   
stroking his hair gently. Izzy was already pretty tired, and the gentle feeling of her hand running   
through his hair was quickly putting him to sleep.  
  
"I'll be fine, Mimi. G'night, sleep well." he said, beginning to drift off already. Mimi nodded, but   
stayed with him for a moment as he began to fall asleep. Once she was satisfied that he was   
more or less asleep, she leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, only to whisper in his ear   
before she left to head to bed.  
  
"When it's my choice, Kou-chan, we will be sharing that bed. I promise..."  
  
******************************************************  
  
A bright light awoke Mimi from her sleep. She grumbled as she rolled over a bit, looking at the   
clock. The time read 8:30. She took a deep breath and got her bearings, remembering all of a   
sudden that she was still at Izzy's home. She hopped out of bed and quickly made the bed as   
well, and then turned to check herself out in the mirror. She'd slept in her clothes, and her hair   
was a bit of a mess, so she looked less than spectacular in her own estimation. Quietly, she   
peeked her head out from Izzy's room only to discover that she was alone. A note sat on the   
kitchen table to her, which she unfolded and read as she sat down.  
  
Mimi,  
  
Sorry I won't be around when you wake up, but I do have school today. No worries,   
though, I'll be available after school as usual. Feel free to have something  
for breakfast before you head out. My home is your home as far as I'm concerned. Also,   
don't forget that tomorrow starts a long weekend for me. Maybe we'll  
have to think of something to do tomorrow.   
  
If you could, please, lock up after you leave I'd appreciate it. The key is hidden behind   
our apartment number, you'll find it. Take care, and I'll see you later today!  
  
Love, Izzy  
  
Mimi folded the note back up and pocketed it, and then turned to the refrigerator for some food.   
Not wanting to impose too greatly, she found some orange juice and bread and butter. A few   
minutes later she was munching on a piece of buttered toast with a glass of orange juice to wash   
it down. As she ate her small breakfast, she played through the events of the past few days in   
her mind.  
  
'Well, so far everything's gone according to plan. Judging by Izzy's reactions to what we've been   
doing, especially last night, I'd say the idea has to at least to be passing through his mind by   
now.'  
  
Mimi closed her eyes for a moment and sighed, recalling the previous night's activity.  
  
'I've never felt like that ever before. Granted I needed to coach him a bit to let him know it was   
okay, but once he got started...I can still imagine he's holding me right now. Oh, with as good   
and as right as this all feels, how could this possibly be rushing things? Every day I'm with him I   
become more and more convinced that I love him. And this is what people in love do to express   
that love to each other.'  
  
Finishing her breakfast, Mimi placed her dishes in the sink in the kitchen and left the apartment,   
locking it with the key she found just where Izzy said it would be and then replacing the key   
carefully. She continued to think to herself as she left the apartment complex on her way back to   
the hotel.  
  
'My Kou-chan, you've given and given to me without end, and you still expect nothing in return.   
Well just you wait. In three days' time, you'll get everything and more that has been due to you, I   
guarantee it.'  
  
****************************************************************  
  
Matt set the two trays he was carrying down at the lunch table carefully. It was a balancing act   
that at times was still tricky, though he'd had plenty of practice ever since he and Sora had gotten   
together. His eyes scanned across the lunchroom as he sat down, finally focusing on Sora after   
a moment. She was still in line trying to get them drinks. She waved back to him when she   
noticed his gaze, and Matt just smiled.   
  
'Yamato Ishida, you are one lucky guy.' he thought to himself. Turning his attention back to the   
table, he then noticed the only other person sitting there at the time. Izzy sat in front of his   
untouched food, a blank stare on his face. Part of his hair was bunched up in a cowlick on the   
right side of his head, for that matter. Matt leaned across the table a bit, inspecting his friend.  
  
"Izzy? You in there? Hellloooo?" he said as he waved his hand in front of Izzy's face. Izzy didn't   
even so much as blink. Matt stepped up his efforts. "Earth to Izzy! You're at school! And your   
food's getting cold!" Still no response. Matt got up and walked around to the other side of the   
table and leaned down close to Izzy's ear. He took in a deep breath and...  
  
"IZZY!!!!"  
  
"WAAAAA!" Izzy yelled as he snapped back to reality. He looked to his right to see Matt   
returning to his seat. There was a slight ringing in his ear fro Matt's yelling, but otherwise he was   
okay.  
  
"Thank God! For a second there I thought you might actually be asleep."  
  
"Sorry about that. Last night was a little difficult. I had to sleep on my couch."  
  
"Why'd you have to do that?"  
  
"Because Mimi ended up spending the night. We were just going to have dinner with my folks   
and watch a movie, but that storm was so bad last night I couldn't send her back out into it. So I   
let her have my bed and I slept on the couch. I've got a stiff neck and a bit of sleep deprivation to   
show for it."  
  
"Not to mention a bad hair day." Matt said, motioning to Izzy's hair with his fork. Izzy's hand   
reached up to the side of his head and felt the cowlick. He sighed and rolled his eyes, disgusted   
with himself.  
  
"Still, all in all it wasn't a bad night." Izzy said, finally starting to pick at his food. Matt looked up at   
him, intrigued by Izzy's story.  
  
"Oh? I take it things have been going well between you two?" he asked as he considered his   
hamburger for a second, wondering if it really was meat.  
  
"To say the least."  
  
"Anything you wanna talk about?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"I understand if you're hesitant, Izzy."  
  
"No, I need to talk to someone sooner or later. Just do yourself a favor and set your food aside   
for a bit."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I don't want to end up wearing it when you overreact to what I'm going to tell you."  
  
For the next few minutes, Izzy told Matt most of what had happened over the past few days   
between him and Mimi, though he stopped short of getting too graphic in his descriptions. By the   
end of it, Matt's eyes were practically the size of golf balls.  
  
"You two have gone *that* far since she got here?" Matt asked as Izzy finished his story.  
  
"I can't shake the feeling that she's trying to tell me something, though I'm so horribly   
inexperienced at all of this I've ended up more confused than anything else." Izzy said, his eyes   
shifting downward a bit.  
  
"Izzy, the message is pretty clear to me: she wants you, and bad!"  
  
"Wants me? You don't mean..."  
  
Matt's slow nod confirmed the thoughts that had only just that day begun to race through Izzy's   
head. Izzy's face instantly turned beet red as he hung his head, looking straight down at his food.  
  
"Look, I know I'm not privy to the particulars of how, or even why things have gotten to the point   
they have between the two of you, Izzy. For that matter, I don't want to pry them out of you   
either. What I will tell you is that it's obvious she cares very deeply for you, and she's trying to   
express that caring for you physically instead of just in words."  
  
"I-I'm no good at...you know, physical stuff..."  
  
"Neither was I to start out, Izzy."  
  
"Now there's a statement I find hard to believe."  
  
"It's the truth! When Sora and I first started going out seriously, I suddenly turned into the   
clumsiest guy around. It was all so awkward, feeling that way for the first time and all, it even   
came through in my music."  
  
"You're kidding!"  
  
"For a couple of days, whenever she came to our practices I got so crackly-voiced that I couldn't   
stand to sing!"  
  
Izzy found himself busting up with laughter at the mental image Matt just gave him. Sora   
happened by at that point, puzzled as to why Izzy was howling with laughter.  
  
"Last time I checked Izzy wasn't prone to spontaneous fits of laughter, Matt. What'd you tell him   
about?" she asked as she set milk down for the both of them.  
  
Matt bit his lip and tried to stall as Izzy recovered from his laughing fit, not knowing that Sora was   
already aware of Mimi's plans. Finally, Izzy looked up and caught his breath.  
  
"Matt was just trying to help me out with something with Mimi is all, Sora." he said, wiping tears   
away from his eyes that had come out while he was laughing.  
  
"I see...care to fill me in on the details?"  
  
"I'll let Matt tell you later. For now let's eat. I'm starving!"  
  
"By the way, did you know you have a bit of a cowlick right over there, Izzy?"  
  
"It's all part of the story, babe. Trust me." Matt said, patting her on the shoulder. Tai and Yuki   
joined them a moment later, and lunch got down to business as usual.  
  
***************************************************  
  
"She what?!" Matt cried. He was walking the halls talking with Sora about Izzy and Mimi, and   
Sora had just spilled the beans about Mimi's plans for him.  
  
"That was my first reaction. Now try telling her why it's a bad idea. You know how she is, Matt.   
Once Mimi gets an idea in her head she follows through on it, and she's pretty certain about it for   
that matter." Sora told him. "But she seems certain that she loves him, and far be it from me, the   
one entrusted with the Crest of Love, to get in their way you know?"  
  
"It's not Mimi that I'm worried about, Sora, it's Izzy."  
  
Sora stopped and looked at Matt, curiosity in her eyes.  
  
"You lost me there." she said, leaning against the wall. Matt spun to look at her.  
  
"The poor guy is all tied up in knots over it. I know a couple others like him, they're a bit on the   
old fashioned side of things. I have no doubt that Mimi's intentions are good, nor do I doubt the   
possibility that she may even love him, but I can't help but wonder if Izzy is ready for something   
like that, no matter how much he may love her back."  
  
"One of those others that you know that are like him wouldn't happen to be you, now would it?"   
Sora asked, half-smiling at him. "Oh what the rest of the world doesn't know, that 'Mr. Coolest   
Dude in the Universe' is really anything but around his girl."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, pick on me some more about it." Matt said, partially annoyed. "The bottom line is, I   
know what Izzy's going through right now. After you and I...you know, did it for the first time Sora,   
I dwelled on it for days on end, worrying about what it meant and all. Izzy's about a hundred   
times worse than me. Compounded with all the other problems that we know run through his   
head constantly, I just hope he doesn't crack from it all."  
  
"See, I don't see it that way at all Matt. Izzy is a lot like you were, granted. And he's always been   
really quiet and introverted for that matter. But he needs to come out of that shell sometime. He   
needs to become a part of the world. He's already taken some big steps for that matter. He's not   
eating in the computer room anymore, he's paying more attention to how he looks, and he's   
become a lot more sociable. I don't think he'll 'crack' at all, Matt. If anything, I'd say this might be   
just what Izzy needs."  
  
"For his sake, I hope that's the case."  
  
"Wasn't it with you?" Sora asked as she slid an arm around his waist. "Or do I need to maybe   
refresh you memory one of these weekends when either of our parents are out of town?"  
  
"Hmm...gee, I dunno. I can't seem to remember that well. Maybe you will need to remind me."   
Matt said, playing dumb all of a sudden. Sora gaped at him indignantly and began to tickle him   
right there. Matt reacted quickly and ran off towards his next class, with Sora in hot pursuit.  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
School had ended, and all of the Digidestined that could make it were hanging out at the park   
near the apartment complex after having changed out of their school uniforms. With a long   
weekend ahead of them, the gang decided to kick things off right by just cutting loose and   
relaxing.  
  
"Hey, aren't we missing someone?" Cody remarked as he swung on a swing. He looked around   
and was pretty sure someone was missing.  
  
"Yeah, where's Izzy?" Ken asked, taking a moment to look around himself.  
  
"I wouldn't worry too much about him, Ken. He'll get here when he gets here." Matt said as he   
relaxed, laying in Sora's lap.  
  
"Which will be whenever Mimi decides to let him get here." Sora added to him quietly. No sooner   
did she say that than Izzy and Mimi showed up, hand in hand.  
  
"Sorry we're a little late! I got a little lost." Mimi said as she began to greet everyone.  
  
"Whoa, so the rumors going around the school are true after all!" Davis said, spotting the couple.   
"You did get a girlfriend after all, Izzy!"  
  
"Rumors?" Izzy asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"A whole mess of people saw you go home with a girl who kissed you on the way. You should've   
heard some of the ones that went around!" Yolei told him. "Now we know it was just you and   
Mimi."  
  
"All of that because I have a girlfriend now? I'm not that much of a basket case, am I?" Izzy   
asked as he scratched his head. Most everyone else just laughed at the comment and made   
their way over to greet the couple. Mimi was the only one who didn't laugh, however. Something   
that Izzy said had caught her attention.  
  
'...I'm his girlfriend now? He truly considers me his girlfriend?' she thought for a moment. Even   
with all the commotion around her, Mimi closed her eyes and concentrated on the perfectly warm   
feeling she had inside, hearing Izzy call her his girlfriend. If it were any other time, she might   
have started crying she was so happy, but surrounded by the rest of their friends she shook off   
that urge and opened her eyes again, starting to talk to all of them in turn.  
  
As the sun set, everyone gathered around in a circle, trading stories and jokes for a while. Then   
Matt stood up and stretched a bit.  
  
"Hang on guys, I'll be right back." he said, heading back for his place. He returned a few minutes   
later, his acoustic guitar in hand. A round of cheers and applause rose from the group.  
  
"Thought I'd do a couple for everyone here. This first one I've been working on a bit. It's in   
English, and I know mine isn't great, but I think you'll all like it." he said. He looked over at Izzy   
and Mimi, who were sitting together as well, Mimi in front of Izzy with Izzy's arms around her   
waist hugging her from behind. "And I think it's particularly significant for two of you, but I'll let   
you figure that out on your own. So here goes."  
  
He began to strum the guitar's strings and closed his eyes as the melody came to him, recalling   
the Eric Clapton song and trying to emulate it as best he could.  
  
~o/  
Would you know my name  
If I saw you in heaven  
Would it be the same  
If I saw you in heaven  
I must be strong  
And carry on  
'Cos I know I don't belong  
Here in heaven  
  
Would you hold my hand  
If I saw you in heaven  
Would you help me stand  
If I saw you in heaven  
I'll find my way through night and day  
'Cos I know I just can't stay  
Here in heaven  
  
Time can bring you down  
Time can bend your knees  
Time can break your heart  
Have you begging please  
Begging please  
  
Beyond the door  
There's peace I'm sure  
And I know  
There'll be no more  
Tears in heaven  
  
Would you know my name  
If I saw you in heaven  
Would it be the same  
If I saw you in heaven  
I must be strong and carry on  
'Cos I know I don't belong  
Here in heaven.  
/o~  
  
As the song played, Izzy and Mimi caught the lyrics and quickly understood what Matt was   
singing about. Mimi turned herself a bit and looked up at Izzy as they listened. Izzy gazed into   
her eyes and stroked her hair gently. Though they didn't say a word, they seemed to know what   
each other was thinking.  
  
'We only have a few days left together...it'll be hard being apart like that...but I'll be strong, I have   
to be...this was meant to be, I know it...'  
  
Matt finished the song with a flourish and a bow as the applause came. He looked up and smiled   
to everyone, his eyes gazing over to Izzy and Mimi who were now lost in a kiss that he knew   
must've been inspired by his song.  
  
'They got the message. That's all I wanted.' he thought as he sat back down. "Okay, folks, let's   
pick something a little more upbeat!"  
  
Matt sang a couple more songs, a bit more uplifting than the first one was. As the sun set, people   
eventually started getting tired and cold and the group parted ways for the night. Izzy walked with   
Mimi back towards the train station, her hand firmly in his.  
  
"Matt's singing was nice..." Izzy said, not looking at Mimi.  
  
"Yeah. I guess we have something we can call our song now, huh?" Mimi replied.  
  
"It certainly sums up a lot of what I've felt in the past...and some of what I'm feeling now."  
  
"Izzy, can we stop and talk for a second? Please?"  
  
Izzy stopped and looked over at Mimi, who looked to be doing her best to contain her emotions.   
He took both of her hands in his, trying to keep them warm as he looked at her.  
  
"Izzy...did you mean what you said when we first got there? About me...being your girlfriend?"   
Mimi asked, slowly looking at him. Her eyes met his, and she could see the emotions he was   
trying to express in words in them.  
  
"Yes, Mimi...I did mean them. I don't say things I don't mean, after all." Izzy told her in an even   
toned voice.  
  
Mimi closed her eyes again, this time the tears spilling forth.  
  
"You don't know how happy that makes me to hear..." she said, her voice trembling. She felt his   
hand reach up, trying to brush away the tears a bit, and she leaned her face into his one hand a   
little. "After everything with Michael, I felt broken inside. Like something had died and, for a time   
I thought, might never come back. You brought that...me, that is, back to life Izzy. I just can't   
deny my feelings anymore, it's so overwhelming."  
  
"I know, Mimi." Izzy said softly as he caressed her cheek gently. "I thought for a long time I'd   
never feel like this. That no one ever could feel like this for me. But you've awoken all that and   
more in me, and as scared as I am I can only sum it up in these words."  
  
Mimi opened her eyes again, focusing her vision through her tears on him.  
  
"I love you, Mimi Tachikawa..."  
  
"And I love you too, Koushiro Izumi..."  
  
The couple shared another kiss, though this one was ten times more meaningful than any kiss   
they'd had so far. It was the affirmation of their love that was the last piece of the puzzle for Mimi.   
Whatever doubts had lingered in her mind were now totally destroyed. Izzy was her love, and   
although they would have to part ways come Sunday, Saturday would be theirs and theirs alone. 


	7. Vacation, Part Three: Passion Play

It was 10:00 AM the following morning as Izzy saw it on his wristwatch. His arm flopped back   
down beside him as he stretched out on the grass. He could hear Matt and Sora nearby groaning   
in agony similar to how he had, as well as Tai, Kari, TK and Davis. They'd all gotten together that   
morning to continue their hanging out session, and learned quickly it was a bad idea. It was hot   
enough outside to fry an egg on the sidewalk. The heat wave had seemingly snuck up on them,   
and it was almost unbearably hot.  
  
"How could we not have noticed this coming?" Izzy asked to no one in particular as he wiped   
some sweat from his brow.  
  
"Well it has been warming up the last couple of days." TK said. "But this is kinda crazy if you ask   
me."  
  
"So my question is, why are you all just lying around here?" Mimi asked as she approached the   
group. Izzy looked up and waved at her. She was certainly dressed for the weather in a white   
half t-shirt, cutoff jean shorts and sandals. She smiled brightly, waving back at him. She was   
carrying a bag of things along with her, and had on a pair of sunglasses as well.  
  
"Like we have anything else better to do, Mimi." Tai said.  
  
"Of course you do!"  
  
"Like what?" Davis asked as he sat up.  
  
"Like going to the beach! Guys, this is a perfect day for it!"  
  
"I have to admit, it would be nice right about now..." Kari said, already imagining it.  
  
"Looks like Mimi's saved the day for us. Anyone not in favor of going to the beach?" Sora asked.   
The silence that followed wasn't unexpected.  
  
"We should call the others and see if anyone else can make it for that matter." Matt said, standing   
up. "Davis, can you get in touch with Cody, Ken and Yolei?"  
  
"I'm on it!" Davis said, already running off to his apartment.  
  
"I'll call Yuki and see if she can make it out too." Tai said.  
  
"I'll come with you Tai, I've gotta get changed and all." Kari said, catching up with her brother.  
  
"Matt, you got a spare swimsuit I can borrow? I kinda don't have one..." TK said, walking over to   
Matt.  
  
"I think I've got an old pair of trunks around somewhere. Come on over, I'm sure dad will be   
happy to see you."  
  
"Okay, let's all meet back down here as soon as we can and we'll head out then." Izzy said,   
calling after everyone. Once gone, he looked over at Mimi and smiled. "Well, you've done it   
again, Mimi-chan."  
  
"Maybe I should be the one with the Crest of Reliability, then." she said with a giggle.  
  
"Ugh, no thanks. Sincerity is much more fitting for you." Izzy said as he started heading for his   
apartment. "Besides, if you were Reliability then that means I'd be dating Joe, and quite frankly I   
don't work like that if you get my meaning."  
  
"Right. Sorry I brought that up." Mimi said, shuddering herself a bit at the image that created for   
her. She followed Izzy back up to his apartment and waited for him to finish getting ready. He   
came back out after a few minutes with his backpack in tow, wearing a light green short sleeved   
button down shirt and a pair of red and blue trunks, with black sport sandals.  
  
"What about your swimsuit?" he asked as he rejoined her, quickly putting his own pair of   
sunglasses on.  
  
"Oh, I have it on, but I want to surprise you when we get there." Mimi said, smiling at him. She   
kissed him quickly and then led the way out. Izzy inwardly wondered just what more she could be   
wearing besides what she had on when she turned and looked at him, lowering her sunglasses   
and giving him as sexy a look as she could come up with. "Put it this way, Kou-chan...there won't   
be much to be left to your imagination."  
  
Izzy felt his heart rate jump a little as he followed Mimi out the door. He certainly didn't feel as   
awkward as he'd felt a couple of days ago, though. If anything, he was very much looking   
forward to seeing what Mimi's swimsuit looked like, or rather what she looked like in it.  
  
*************************************************  
  
As it turned out, almost the entire gang turned out for the beach. Cody was absent because he   
promised to help his grandfather clean the dojo that day, and Joe still had college to keep him   
occupied. Once there, everyone started grabbing spots for their towels and such. Davis, Tai,   
Yuki, Kari and TK all grabbed a spot for their stuff and immediately made a mad dash for the   
water with Davis and TK racing neck and neck all the way until Tai passed them both by like they   
were standing still. Ken and Yolei set up an umbrella they'd rented and set to stretching out and   
relaxing. Matt and Sora preferred to be out in the open, and Izzy and Mimi set up right next to   
them at Sora's insistence.  
  
Izzy undid his shirt and stuffed it into his backpack, and then sat down on his blanket, taking a   
deep breath of the sea air. It was rather invigorating, and he could begin to feel the stress of   
school ebbing away. He looked to his right a little to see Mimi beginning to take off her sandals.   
She smiled up at him and winked as she straightened up, pulling her shirt off showing off the pink   
string bikini top she had on underneath. She them slipped out of her shorts, revealing the   
matching pink bikini bottom, which was tied on both sides. She sat next to him, putting her hair   
up in a ponytail, and then looked back at him again. Izzy couldn't take his eyes off of her.  
  
"I take it you approve?" she asked leaning over towards him a bit.  
  
"Oh yes..." Izzy said in a somewhat quiet voice. "And you were right about what you said before,   
for that matter."  
  
"I aim to please, Ko...Izzy." she said, almost slipping up and using her pet name for him. A quick   
glance over at Sora reminded her of the fact that their friends were still nearby.  
  
"Shall we relax for a while?" Izzy asked as he laid back on his blanket.  
  
"Oh, absolutely!" Mimi replied as she did likewise. As she settled back, Mimi felt Izzy's hand   
reach over to touch hers. She smiled as she relaxed there with him, wishing none of it ever had   
to end. After a half hour, though, both of them were a little hot as the sun continued to beat down   
on them. Mimi had anticipated this, and when Izzy went to roll over she quietly rifled through her   
bag and found a bottle of sun tan lotion. She looked over and saw Sora applying some of her   
own lotion to Matt's back. Sora looked up at her and smiled widely.  
  
"I love doing this." Sora mouthed to Mimi, continuing to smile. Mimi nodded vigorously and   
poured a bit of lotion on her hands and then gently touched Izzy's shoulders, beginning to work   
the lotion in. Izzy was a bit startled by the slightly cold feeling, but rolled his eyes as he felt her   
hands working on his back. With everything else that had happened between the two of them, he   
just made himself comfortable and let her work. He turned his head to the right and happened to   
open his eyes, seeing Matt having Sora do the same to him. Matt looked back over at him and   
gave him a thumbs up, which Izzy just nodded to.  
  
'Life just doesn't get better than this.' both guys thought as things progressed.  
  
Mimi found herself pleasantly surprised as she worked her way down Izzy's back. His back was   
surprisingly solid for being someone who didn't work out. As she reached his lower back she had   
to resist the urge to go any lower and switched over to his arms. When it came to his arms, she   
again was surprised to see they were fairly strong as well. She had to figure it was from all the   
different computers and part he must've had to carry around. All of this was good for her to know,   
not to mention was turning her on somewhat. After both she and Sora had finished, she looked   
up at her longtime friend and then counted down with her as they both knew what to say next.  
  
"Oh boys, would you mind taking care of us now?" both girls said together. Matt and Izzy looked   
at each other again and smiled.  
  
'Then again, maybe life does get better...' both guys thought again.  
  
The couples switched positions and now the girls laid on their stomachs. Sora had on a one-  
piece swimsuit, blue with red trim. Her back was fully exposed for Matt, who knew just what to do   
as he drizzled the lotion on her back. Sora jolted a little at the cold sensation, but quickly melted   
under Matt's hands. Izzy, having no experience doing this, just did similar to what Mimi had done   
to him, starting with her shoulders. Mimi and Sora enjoyed all that the boys were doing to them,   
and as Izzy worked his way down Mimi's back she winked at Sora as she reached behind her   
back. Izzy stopped as he saw her reach back and untie her top, letting the strings fall at her sides   
so he could get lotion on where they had been. Izzy swallowed hard, his heart beating quite a bit   
faster. Matt picked up on what had happened and looked over at his friend.  
  
"Damn..." he mouthed to him. Izzy just nodded to him and returned to work on Mimi's back. He   
couldn't get over how soft her skin was as he worked over her back. Mimi, for her part, was   
enjoying the feeling of his hands on her bare back. She made a mental note that she'd have to   
get him to do this to her again if she was in Japan again.  
  
On finishing, Izzy sat back down next to Mimi as she re-tied her bikini top. She sat up and   
scooted over by him.  
  
"I take it you enjoyed that?" she whispered to him.  
  
"Both parts, immensely." he whispered back.  
  
"Me too, Kou-chan." she whispered back, kissing his earlobe quickly.  
  
"I'm going to go get some lemonade. Wanna come with me, Mimi?" Sora asked as she stood up.  
  
"Sure thing! You want any, Izzy?"  
  
"Yeah, just a small one though. Thanks." Izzy said, handing her a couple 100 yen coins. Mimi   
jumped up and walked off with Sora to the lemonade stand. Izzy propped himself on his arms as   
he looked out at the water.  
  
"Izzy, all I can say is...damn, man, are we lucky or what?" Matt said, looking over at him as he sat   
in a similar fashion.  
  
"No kidding. I definitely resonate that sentiment." Izzy said back. The two gave each other a high   
five and then went back to looking out at the water. It looked like there was a large water war   
with Tai and TK on one side and Kari and Yuki on the other. Davis looked to be content to just   
float around. Yolei and Ken were just chilling out under their umbrella on the beach, both of them   
asleep with Yolei's head on Ken's chest.  
  
Around mid-afternoon a barbecue started up on the beach and everyone got lunch from it, only to   
return to their previous activities more or less. Tai and TK seemed to really have teamed out in   
the water, trying to spot the girls. Yuki and Kari then rushed right at them from both sides,   
splashing both of them with a large manmade wave. Yolei, taking a cue from Sora and Mimi, was   
now putting some lotion on Ken's back and seriously enjoying doing that. Matt and Sora had   
gone walking off on their own for a while, and Izzy and Mimi also walked along the shoreline   
together, the water just coming up over their feet.  
  
"So, still looking forward to our big date Saturday night?" Mimi asked him.  
  
"Of course! Though it sure seems like we've been dating the entire week anyways." Izzy noted.  
  
"Call it practice for the real thing."  
  
"Hey, I'm certainly not complaining Mimi-chan. I've loved every minute we've spent together."  
  
"Me too, Kou-chan. I don't think I'll ever forget this vacation. So much has happened for me."  
  
"I'm glad I could be a part of it."  
  
"Well it's not over yet, so don't act like it yet love."  
  
The two continued to walk along for a while, talking about whatever came to mind. After a while,   
they went to kiss only to notice each other was rather salty.  
  
"Must be the salt in the sea breeze." Izzy said, grimacing a bit.  
  
"Yeah. Let's rinse off a bit." Mimi said, making a likewise face. The two headed for the shower   
that was made available for people to wash the salt off of themselves. Izzy went first, letting the   
water run all over him. Mimi stood back and waited, enjoying watching the water run over him.   
She had to bite her lip to keep herself in check at one point, until Izzy stepped away from the   
shower, putting his sandals back on. Mimi then stepped in and likewise rinsed herself off, and   
this time it was Izzy's turn to enjoy the show. The water made her swimsuit hug her body even   
more, and by the time she was done and rejoined him Izzy found it a bit difficult to walk normally.   
Mimi put an arm around him as they walked, noticing his problem and took the opportunity to   
push things along a little more.  
  
"Sorry about that. Too bad we can't do anything about that...right now." she whispered to him.   
After his talk with Matt the previous day, Izzy wasn't as nervous or flustered as he might normally   
have been about Mimi's increasingly suggestive nature. He managed a small smile back at her   
as he tilted his head over towards her.  
  
"Yeah, a pity isn't it?" he whispered back, sliding his arm around her waist. Mimi blinked a couple   
of times, slightly amazed that he responded to her.  
  
'He is picking up on it! Kami-sama, can I possibly wait two more days? I have to! Even if I feel   
like I'm almost about to go crazy, which I am...maybe we'll just have to make out a bit when night   
comes and release some of this tension.' she thought to herself.  
  
'I hope I read that right. Man, she's so perfect...but would it be right to do something like that only   
to have her leave Sunday? I don't know. I can't deny the temptation is there anymore, though.   
Maybe I ought to stop by Yolei's family's store tomorrow before we go out...' Izzy thought as they   
walked back to their blankets.  
  
Night fell after too much longer, and a bonfire started up with everyone gathering around for   
warmth and toasted marshmallows. Izzy had put his shirt back on, though he'd left it open, and   
Mimi had put her shorts back on as well for some added warmth. As the group began to sing a   
couple of campfire songs and tell a couple of ghost stories, Mimi gave a tug on Izzy's arm,   
leading him away from things. Izzy followed unquestioningly, grabbing a blanket as he left the   
fire. Mimi had her blanket with her as well, just for good measure.  
  
"Where are those two going?" Davis asked, looking over at Izzy and Mimi leaving.  
  
"Davis...even you can't be that dense..." Kari said, looking over at him. Davis just shrugged and   
grabbed another marshmallow, sticking it on his stick and beginning to toast it. Kari just shook   
her head. "Okay, then maybe you can..."  
  
As soon as Izzy set the blanket down and made sure it was straight, Mimi pushed him down   
playfully onto his back and the two began to make out. They repeated everything they'd done so   
far with each other, their passions heightening even further now that they knew each other's   
feelings. Mimi broke off their kissing for a moment as she noticed Izzy's earlier "problem"   
returning.  
  
"Sorry...I can't help it." Izzy said, partly embarrassed. Mimi just smirked at him, and then looked   
around quickly. No one was anywhere near them. She quickly grabbed her blanket and slung it   
over them for a bit more warmth. She then smiled at Izzy again and kissed him quickly.  
  
"A little treat for you here, my Kou-chan." she told him, her voice almost a bit husky. She moved   
up a little, straddling him so that he rubbed right up against her. She moaned softly at the   
sensation, as did he. They returned to kissing, and Mimi began to grind her hips with his a bit.   
The two had to break their kisses off more and more often as they enjoyed their closeness. They   
kept up their actions for a few more minutes until Mimi finally slowed down and just collapsed on   
Izzy, her heart racing and her breathing ragged. Izzy wrapped his arms around her, keeping her   
close. Mimi picked her head up to look at him. As their eyes met this time, there was more than   
just love between them. There was a definite desire that both of them felt, and neither knew how   
much longer they'd be able to stave that desire off. Mimi spoke first, just as Izzy was going to say   
something.  
  
"Two days, Kou-chan...in two days, we'll do something about this...I promise." she told him.  
  
"A-are you sure...? But...how?" Izzy asked, suddenly filled with concern.  
  
"I've got it all worked out. Trust me. Can you wait two days, though?"  
  
"For you? Of course, Mimi-chan. I'd wait even longer if you wanted me to."  
  
She smiled and slid off of him a bit, snuggling up next to him and smiling contentedly.  
  
"You won't have to, Kou-chan."  
  
***********************************************************  
  
Izzy stood in the hotel lobby along with Tai and Yuki as they waited for Mimi to come down. Izzy   
had come here so often now that the attendants and hotel clerks recognized him, and they   
chatted a little bit. Tai looked over at Yuki, feeling a bit nervous himself about the upcoming date.   
Tai was dressed in all black, button-down shirt, pants, belt, shoes and socks. Yuki had on a gray   
tank top with a light blue see-through blouse over it, but unbuttoned, and faded blue jeans with a   
metal ring belt, and a pair of sandals. She also wore an orange and blue baseball cap with the   
New York Mets team insignia on it.  
  
"You look fantastic." Tai said to Yuki as they stood waiting for Mimi.  
  
"Thanks. You're looking pretty sharp yourself you know? I'd almost think you were trying to   
impress me or something." Yuki said coyly.  
  
"Who said I'm not?" Tai replied, smiling at her. He then looked over to Izzy, who was leaning   
against a column waiting for Mimi. "How're you doing over there, Izzy?"  
  
"Fine, just a little anxious is all." Izzy replied. The casual look that Mimi had picked out for Izzy   
really worked well, he looked a lot more relaxed than he usually did, though Tai couldn't help but   
wonder if it was just the clothes that had done that to him.  
  
"Boy is he in for a surprise." Yuki said quietly to Tai. "Mimi described to me what she's wearing   
tonight."  
  
"Care to give out any spoilers?" Tai asked. Just then, the elevator dinged and the doors began to   
open.  
  
"I think you'll see soon enough." Yuki told him. Sure enough, Mimi emerged from the elevator,   
and the effect on Izzy was readily apparent.  
  
Mimi wore a small, tight red t-shirt that exposed her midriff, with a belly button ring that adorned   
her midsection as well. She also had on dark blue, hip hugging jeans and a pair of Converse   
sneakers. Her hair was down, but in a few loose curls that hung over her shoulders, and she had   
on a pendant that, as Tai noticed, was the symbol of Izzy's Crest of Knowledge.  
  
"Hope I didn't keep you long." Mimi said as she stopped in front of Izzy. She posed a little for   
him, flashing him a dazzling smile. "You like?"  
  
"Without question!" Izzy replied promptly. He straightened himself up and offered her his arm,   
which she quickly laced her arm through. Yuki and Tai followed behind them a ways.  
  
"Well at least he didn't say 'prodigious'." Tai said as he leaned over to Yuki. Yuki lightly   
backhanded his shoulder and smirked at the comment.  
  
On the subway ride over, things were a bit crowded. Mimi ended up being backed up against a   
wall near the doors of the subway car, but Izzy stood right in front of her, facing her. Half to   
protect her from any lecherous old men, and half to keep her to himself, which she had no   
problem with. Tai and Yuki were more towards the middle of the car, but Yuki was having   
problems steadying herself as the car lurched around on its run. As she nearly tumbled once, Tai   
instinctively stepped behind her, putting his arms around her waist.  
  
"Here, I'll help you stay up." he told her.  
  
"Thanks..." Yuki replied, though she was taken a bit aback at Tai's forwardness. Still, it felt nice   
to have his arms around her and soon enough she found herself leaning back into him. Tai stood   
his ground, his heart up in his throat as he realized how close they were, and yet how good it felt   
to be holding her. He let himself secretly enjoy it as they went along.  
  
The Metro, at one point, had been a real seedy night club for the older crowd who didn't want to   
get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Roppongi. It had come under new management a few   
years ago and was converted into a rather successful teen club. They played a mixture of J-Pop   
and International Pop hits, mostly from America. This was the foursome's first destination on the   
evening. As they progressed through the line to get in, Mimi was already tapping her foot to the   
rhythm she was picking up from inside.  
  
"I don't know if this means anything, but I've never really danced before, Mimi." Izzy told her.  
  
"You know what? You're right, it doesn't mean anything." Mimi told him back. "I'm here to have   
fun with my date, nothing else."  
  
"I've done this sorta thing before back in the States. What about you Tai?" Yuki said, looking   
over at him.  
  
"Hey, aren't I allowed to have a secret or two of my own? Let's just get inside and you'll see." Tai   
told her.  
  
The four finally managed to get in and secure a table. Two of them would stay at the table, while   
the other couple would go dance. Izzy and Mimi went first. Izzy looked pretty awkward out on   
the floor for a while until things switched to a bit slower of a song. Then he and Mimi got a lot   
closer and were able to dance fairly well together. Yuki noted to herself that they way they were   
dancing was even a little sexy, almost like Mimi was trying to seduce Izzy. She filed that thought   
for later. The couples switched up, and now Tai and Yuki were out dancing. Tai's "secret" didn't   
take long to figure out. Being a star soccer player he had to have good footwork, and had even   
taken some dance lessons to help him with just that. he matched Yuki's skill step for step, and   
the two danced for quite some time. Finally, the two were getting a little tired and started to head   
back to the table when Tai held Yuki back for a moment.  
  
"Let's get one more dance in eh? They look like they want to be alone right now." Tai said,   
pointing his thumb towards the table. Yuki peered over to see Mimi and Izzy making out at the   
table like there was no tomorrow.   
  
"So noted. One more for the road!" Yuki said with a cheer. They shared one more dance, much   
slower this time, and then returned to the table where Izzy and Mimi were done kissing for the   
time being.  
  
"You guys sure seemed to be into that last one. Sorry it had to end like that." Izzy said.  
  
"Yeah... hey, I'm a little thirsty. Anyone else want something?" Tai asked.  
  
"Could you get me a soda?" Yuki asked.  
  
"Me too, please." Mimi said.  
  
"I'd better come with you then. That's a lot for one person to carry." Izzy said.  
  
"Okay, we'll be right back guys." Tai said as he left with Izzy for the "bar". This being a teen club,   
it didn't serve alcohol, but it had kept the bar around anyways so the kids could have a sense that   
it was a grown up place.  
  
"You two sure are a hot item these days, you know Izzy?" Tai told him as they waited for the   
drinks.  
  
"No need to tell me about it. I'm not exactly complaining for that matter." Izzy said as he leaned   
forward onto his elbows. "What about you two, though? You sure seem awfully close, especially   
after that last dance you had."  
  
"I'm having a hard time denying it, man. I'm attracted to her. I just hope she feels the same."  
  
"Don't worry about it too much, just be yourself and if she's interested, she'll let you know   
somehow."  
  
"You think?"  
  
"I'm beginning to get an eye for these kind of things. Trust me."  
  
"Scary enough as it is, you know more about it than me. Thanks for the advice."  
  
The drinks came shortly after that, and the two of them returned to the girls.  
  
"Drinks are here!" Tai announced as he approached the table with Izzy. He interrupted Mimi mid-  
sentence, and she never got the chance to finish her thought as she'd been chatting with Yuki.   
She dismissed her worries and went back to having a good time with Izzy and her friends.  
  
The group had some dinner at the club as well, and then headed out for a walk around town.   
They stopped by a music store, and a couple of fashion stores for Mimi to look around in, and   
before any of them realized it, it was 10:00 at night.  
  
"It's been fun, guys, but I gotta get her home soon." Tai said. "Thanks again for letting us come   
out with you."  
  
"Same here, Tai. It was loads of fun." Izzy told him.  
  
"I'll see you guys again before I leave, right?" Mimi asked.  
  
"We'll see you off at the airport with everyone else, Mimi." Yuki told her.  
  
"Great! Take care you two! Don't do anything I wouldn't!" Mimi said as they walked away. Yuki   
just smirked, knowing what she meant.  
  
Izzy saw Mimi back to the hotel again, as usual, and the two stopped in the lobby in front of the   
elevators.  
  
"Well, tomorrow's our big day, Kou-chan." Mimi said, smiling at him.  
  
"I know. Meet you down here at 5:00 PM, right?" Izzy asked, confirming the time.  
  
"I'll be waiting for you. Remember, dress nice. We'll be dining at the top of the hotel here, and   
it's a very nice place."  
  
"No worries, I have a suit for occasions like this. Well, g'night Mimi-chan."  
  
The two kissed briefly and then parted ways. No major make out session this time, as they both   
now more or less knew what tomorrow would bring.  
  
On his way home, Izzy stopped by the store that Yolei's family owned. Yolei was running the   
register at the time. Izzy cursed his luck, but it was now or never as far as this was concerned.  
  
"Hey Izzy! What can I do for ya?" Yolei asked, looking up from the register.  
  
"Uh, heh. Hi Yolei. Gimme a sec, will ya?" Izzy said as he searched the aisles for what he   
needed. He eventually found what he needed: a pack of condoms. He headed for the counter   
and tried to be as cool about it as he could. Yolei, on seeing what his purchase was, looked at   
him with a certain amount of disbelief.  
  
"What?" Izzy asked as he read her stare at him.  
  
"You can't be serious, Izzy." Yolei said flatly.  
  
"You gonna sell them to me or what, Yolei?"  
  
"I never thought I'd see this day come." Yolei said as she rang the sale through. "You know I'm   
joking with you, right?"  
  
"I know, Yolei. I'm sorry. I'm just a little tense about it is all."  
  
"I'm sure I'll be the same when Ken and I get to this point in our relationship. We've got a pool   
going as to who'll be next: me and Ken, or TK and Kari."  
  
"Put me down for 100 yen on you guys."  
  
"Oh? What makes you say that?"  
  
"I know Tai too well. He may like TK and all, but Kari's still his baby sister. It'll be a miracle if he   
lets that slide by him while he's still in the house."  
  
"So noted, and thanks for the vote of confidence by the way." Yolei said as she grabbed a   
notepad she had under the counter, scribbling Izzy's name down. "That'll be 250 yen, please."  
  
Izzy paid Yolei the money and took his goods and pocketed them, not wanting the bag or receipt.  
  
"Hey, Izzy? We're all happy for you and Mimi getting together. I personally am happy to see you   
two so happy together, so good luck tomorrow night. And also, here's to hoping you guys can   
keep it together after she has to leave."  
  
"Yeah. Thanks Yolei. I appreciate it." Izzy said, nodding to her. Izzy headed on out then,   
continuing on towards home.  
  
Back at the hotel, Mimi sat on her bed and took a drink of water, washing down the pill she'd just   
swallowed. She'd been on birth control pills for a few months now, to regulate her body chemistry   
a bit better, and she never missed a night. She was totally expectant that Izzy would probably   
bring protection anyway, but that was no excuse to not be a little extra safe. She crawled into   
bed and turned out her light. She gazed around the darkened room a bit. Her parents were   
already sleeping in the adjacent room, and she could hear her father's snoring slightly.  
  
'Mom. Dad. Thank you for the vacation here. I wish it never had to end, but I know it must. I   
promise I'll tell you all about this when we get home, and we'll sort it all out then. Tomorrow night   
belongs to me and Kou-chan...I wouldn't have it any other way. I can only hope you'll   
understand...'  
  
Mimi drifted off to sleep, her dreams quickly turning to her and Izzy, and the end of her fate-filled   
vacation. 


	8. Vacation, Conclusion: Caring and Coping

5:00 PM  
  
Izzy strode into the hotel lobby, taking a deep breath as he entered. He wore a gray trench coat   
over a black suit coat and pants, with a white shirt and a rust-colored necktie. His black leather   
shoes clicked on the floor as he made his way around, looking for Mimi. He greeted the   
attendants as usual as he walked around. He wandered for a few minutes with no sign of Mimi.   
He then took a seat near the bar, figuring he'd just have to wait for her. Out of the corner of his   
eye, he saw someone sitting at the bar turn towards him. He lifted his gaze and looked over in   
that direction.  
  
Mimi stood up from the bar stool she'd been sitting on and made her way over to him slowly. Her   
hair was worn up in a bun of sorts with an ornate silver headpiece holding the hair in place along   
with a couple of black chopsticks. The headpiece almost looked like a tiara, though it was both   
functional and fashionable. Her dress was dark blue, and fit her every curve perfectly. It was slit   
up her left side up most of her thigh. Dark blue heels finished her outfit, and her makeup was   
light, but perfect. Izzy was quickly to his feet and bowed deeply to her. Mimi smiled and bowed   
slightly in return.  
  
"You look spectacular tonight, Mimi." Izzy said, his breath almost taken away at the sight of her.  
  
"Thank you, Kou-chan. You look particularly handsome this evening as well." Mimi replied. She   
stepped up beside him, slipping her arm through his. "Shall we?"  
  
"By all means."  
  
The two headed for the elevator, where a man stood inside ready to take them where they   
wanted to go. Mimi smiled as she hugged Izzy's arm a little closer. The night had just begun.  
  
  
6:30 PM  
  
The two were seated next to a window, and the view of Odaiba with the sun setting in the   
background was breathtaking. They had both enjoyed dinner, but were now more entranced with   
each other and the view than anything else.  
  
"So much has happened in the past two months, hasn't it?" Mimi said, looking at Izzy from across   
their small table. "Two months ago I would never have thought I'd be with anyone other than   
Michael, and now here I am. Having dinner with someone who is twice the man and more than   
he ever was."  
  
"You give me way too much credit, Mimi-chan. I've only ever wanted to be nice to you and help   
you past your rough spot." Izzy told her.  
  
"And yet it's become so much more than that, hasn't it Kou-chan? I mean, we certainly had fun   
online talking, sharing music and stories, playing games, but we also shared personal things and   
feelings. That's when I started feeling closer to you."  
  
"I have to admit, back then I kinda dreamt of something like this happening but I dismissed it as   
nothing more than that: a dream. I may have started out just being a friend to you, but I wanted   
to be more I guess."  
  
"And you became more. When I asked you out online, I thought maybe it'd just be a passing   
fancy and we'd both get past it. But I haven't...we haven't. You've been noting but nice to me,   
and we've shared so much...I feel like I can say anything to you, and you'd be there to help me   
out."  
  
"I am here for you, and always will be Mimi."  
  
"And then this past week...all the little passion plays we've had...I discovered what love really   
feels like, and it's made me want to have that feeling every day of my life."  
  
"I feel the same. And I know now, too, that the only way I'll ever feel like that is with you in my   
life."  
  
Mimi smiled at Izzy again as he finished her thought for her, word for word.  
  
"I can't say it enough. I love you, Mimi. And I think I always will." Izzy said, reaching across the   
table for her hand.  
  
"And I will always love you too, Koushiro...my Kou-chan." Mimi said, taking his hand in hers.  
  
Some music struck up from the band just then, and several couples migrated to the dance floor   
for a dance. Izzy and Mimi did likewise, getting several comments from others around them   
about how nice it was to see young people in love.  
  
  
8:00 PM  
  
Izzy stood in the hotel room, looking around. He had no idea hotel rooms could be that big, let   
alone that Mimi would have one to herself like this. As he looked around, he heard Mimi close   
the door behind them, turning the deadbolt and locking the door. She did likewise with the door   
that connected her room to her parents' room.  
  
"A small precaution." she said, smiling at him.  
  
"Only small?" Izzy asked.  
  
"I know my folks well. We have an afternoon flight home, so they'll stay out extra late tonight, get   
pretty well drunk and sleep late tomorrow so they won't be jet lagged too badly." Mimi told him as   
she turned the lights down low. She then walked over to Izzy, stepping out of her shoes as she   
did. She draped her arms over his shoulders, pulling him closer to her. "Kou-chan, I've been   
looking forward to this all week..."  
  
"All week?"  
  
"I'll explain later." Mimi said as she reached behind her, beginning to pull on the zipper on her   
dress. "No more words, no more play, no more games..."  
  
She pushed Izzy's coat off of his shoulders as she kissed him, feeling her dress beginning to slip   
off. She whispered one last thing to him before she finally gave in to her desires.  
  
"Just love me..."  
  
  
7:30 AM  
  
Izzy felt something move next to him, and he rolled his head to one side a bit, his eyes opening   
slowly. After reading the time from the clock, he took a moment to get his bearings. Darkness   
still more or less permeated the room, though a few stray rays of sunshine were beginning to filter   
in. He looked down to his right and noticed the source of the earlier movement still moving a bit.   
Mimi pulled herself a bit closer to him as she adjusted her position in bed. Izzy let the memories   
of the prior night filter into his mind. It had started out simply enough, but had gotten rather wild   
by the end. He'd bought a 3-pack from Yolei's store, and they'd gone through all three in one   
night. He hoped it hadn't been too much for either of them, but then again, neither of them knew   
when they'd have a second opportunity like this. He strained his ears for a moment and could   
faintly make out the sound of someone snoring on the other side of the wall. Mimi had her   
parents figured out dead on. Izzy just hoped they'd be asleep long enough for them to make   
things look like nothing had happened.  
  
Mimi stirred a bit more, finally lifting her head up and opening her eyes. It took her a moment to   
focus, though she certainly enjoyed what she saw before her. Izzy smiled back at her, stroking   
her hair gently. She slid up his side a bit more and kissed him quickly, then hugged him closely.   
She loved the feeling of their nude bodies so close together.  
  
"Good morning, Kou-chan. Sleep well?" she asked pleasantly.  
  
"Absolutely. You?"  
  
"Oh yes...I'm a little sore this morning, but it's certainly a small price to pay for what all we did last   
night."  
  
"Yeah. That was certainly...well, I'm at a loss to describe it."  
  
"Eye-opening is what I'll say. You certainly became a very proficient lover very quickly, Kou-  
chan."  
  
"As did you, Mimi-chan. Believe me. I suppose we'd better get up and moving."  
  
"No rush. My parents won't be up for another hour or so. Let's just...stay like this a little longer."  
  
"Okay, Mimi-chan. Anything for you."  
  
Izzy continued to stroke her hair as they enjoyed the simple pleasure of being together, knowing   
that now their time was truly running out.  
  
  
3:00 PM  
  
Mimi's parents had consented for her to stay behind for a mew moments to say goodbye to her   
friends, and in particular to Izzy who they knew was special to her now. She thanked her parents   
and returned to Izzy, who was doing his best to comfort her as she sobbed into his shoulder.  
  
"I wish I didn't have to go back..." she said between sobs.  
  
"Me either, but you've got to Mimi." Izzy said, a bit gloomily. "I know that e-mails and chat rooms   
aren't the same as being together, or at least I understand that a lot better now than I ever did   
before..."  
  
"It'll have to do for now, I guess." Mimi said, as she started to regain her composure.  
  
"I'm going to start saving my money up, so maybe I can come to America and visit you next time."   
Izzy told her. "It might take a while, but I don't care what I have to do to be together with you   
again, Mimi."  
  
"Who knows? Maybe I can help you get the money together somehow." Mimi said, brightening   
up a bit.  
  
"We'll see. Think you can wait for me?"  
  
"To be with you again... I'd wait forever."  
  
"You won't have to, I promise."  
  
Mimi stood up, drying her eyes a bit. Izzy helped her with a handkerchief he'd brought along,   
knowing it would be needed. The two embraced and kissed again, as if they'd never see each   
other again. After they separated, Mimi took her bag from Izzy and managed the best smile she   
could for him.  
  
"See you online, Kou-chan." she said with a wink. Izzy's face turned a little red, though he smiled   
and nodded in return. Mimi turned and jogged a bit to catch up with her parents at the gate, and   
then disappeared down the jet way, her tears beginning to fall again. Izzy turned and began to   
walk back towards the rest of the group, who were quick to surround him and offer their   
encouragements. Izzy thanked them, and they began to head down to the train station that would   
take them back to the city again.  
  
"I just have one question." Matt said, stepping alongside Izzy. Izzy looked up at Matt quizzically.   
"Where did 'Kou-chan' come from?"  
  
"That's ah, um...well, er..." Izzy said, his face turning very red now. "It's um...a private matter."  
  
"A private matter? What's that supposed to..." Matt began to say. A sudden revelation he had   
answered his question for him. "You're kidding. Right?"  
  
Izzy remained silent, biting his lip as he walked.  
  
"You... and her...??"  
  
Izzy glanced over at Matt a couple times quickly, and gave a very small nod to him, his face now   
beet red. Matt put his arm around Izzy, patting him on the back soundly. He leaned in close to   
Izzy's left ear.  
  
"Welcome to the club, my man. We'll have to talk sometime." he whispered with a chuckle. A   
sudden tugging sensation and pain gripped Matt from his left as Sora pulled him back from Izzy.  
  
"Leave him alone, Matt, I know what you're talking about." Sora told him plainly.  
  
"What? What's the big deal?" Davis asked innocently.  
  
"Davis, you truly, honestly can't be that clueless..." Kari said, looking over at him.  
  
"Yes he can, this is Davis after all." Cody said, snickering.  
  
"Come on, I'm serious! What's the big deal??" Davis asked again, getting frustrated. TK just   
sighed and shook his head.  
  
"Look, I'll talk to you about it later okay, Davis? Though you really should talk to your folks about   
it." TK told him. Davis just gave a frustrated grumble and kept walking along, trying to figure out   
what all the secrecy was about. Tai and Yuki stepped over alongside Izzy to check on him.  
  
"You going to be okay, Izzy?" Tai asked.  
  
"I don't know, Tai. Already I wish I could just run back and jump on that plane with her." Izzy said,   
his expression a bit dark now.  
  
"You two must really have it bad for each other." Yuki noted.  
  
"I love her, Yuki. And she loves me back. Doesn't get much more serious than that, you know?"   
Izzy told her.  
  
"Well we're all here for you if you need support or someone to talk to, Izzy." Tai told him.  
  
"I really appreciate it and all, guys, but I guess I just need a little time to myself. If none of you   
mind, I'll catch a separate train to get back home. I have some thinking I need to do." Izzy told   
them all.  
  
"That's fine, Izzy. We'll respect your space." Tai told him before anyone else could object. "See   
you tomorrow at school, right?"  
  
"Yeah, right. Thanks Tai." Izzy said. He then split off from the rest of the group and headed over   
to a train sitting at a different platform, his expression no less dark than when he was with them.  
  
'One week...it went by so fast, and now my life is changed forever. I have someone who loves   
me now, who I love in return. And now I can't be with them because they live on the other side of   
the goddamn planet. This hurts...a lot. I sure hope it isn't some kind of cruel joke that someone   
up there is playing on me. If it is, I'm certainly not getting the punch line.' Izzy thought to himself.   
Idly, he figured Mimi must be thinking the same thing herself. He shook his head as he felt a tear   
trail down his face, watching she sky where he knew Mimi's plane now was. The strains of Matt's   
song played through his mind again as he rode home, their true meaning only now really sinking   
in.  
  
~o/  
I'll find my way through night and day  
I just can't stay  
Here in heaven  
/o~  
  
*************************************************************  
  
"Dear, are you sure about this?"  
  
"If I wasn't sure before, I am now honey. Believe me."  
  
"You're going to need to tell her, then. Everything that is."  
  
"I know. I just hope she was able to have fun on that trip. God knows I sure didn't."  
  
"Well, you never intended for that to be a real 'vacation' for yourself now did you?"  
  
"No, I suppose I didn't. She certainly has been up in her room a long time. Is everything okay?"   
  
"You'd best let me talk to her, dear. I have a feeling this is a ladies' matter."  
  
"I understand. I'm going to make a couple of phone calls and finalize things then."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"You do support me on this, right honey?"  
  
"On this and all things, dear. I love you, after all."  
  
"I love you too."  
  
***************************************************************  
  
Mimi heard the knocks at her door, but couldn't even so much as move to acknowledge them.   
She sat almost frozen in front of her computer, the screen blank as it wasn't turned on. Her eyes   
were swollen and red, tears dried on her face. She couldn't do it anymore. It wasn't the same. It   
would never be the same as being with him, with Izzy. But now she didn't know when, if indeed   
she would ever, see him again. She closed her eyes as she sobbed again a little. If it were ever   
truly going to work out, it would take a minor...no, make that a major miracle.  
  
"Mimi, dear, I'm coming in." her mother said, opening the door. She saw the look on her   
daughter's face and it confirmed all of her suspicions. She closed the door behind her and   
moved over towards her daughter, picking up the box of tissues that sat on her nightstand. "A bit   
lovesick, dear?"  
  
Mimi managed to look over at her mother and nod, not wanting to hide anything anymore. Her   
mother pulled a tissue from the box and dabbed at her face a bit, wiping away the tears.  
  
"You don't know this, but I went though a similar experience with your father." her mother told her.   
Mimi looked at her mother, blinking a little as she listened to the story. "When we were in college,   
your father still lived in Hiroshima and I lived in Nagano. Two opposite sides of the country.   
When we were first falling in love, it hurt so badly to be apart that at times it was unbearable. Our   
only link was the letters we wrote each other almost every day. We went through so much   
postage, it wasn't even funny. But it all worked out in the end."  
  
"Mom, that's all well and good...but this isn't that simple!" Mimi said, her voice crackling with   
emotion. She tried to clear her throat a bit before she continued. "He's not just across the   
country, he's on the other side of the world! And...and..."  
  
"And nothing matches the feeling you have when you're with him, does it?" her mother said,   
finishing Mimi's sentence for her.  
  
"No, nothing does. Mom, what am I going to do?"  
  
"Well, I suggest you dry those eyes and wash your face a bit, and then come downstairs for   
dinner. You must be famished by now." her mother said as she helped her daughter to her feet.   
"Oh, by the way, one other thing I wanted to tell you about."  
  
Mimi looked at her mother, wondering what it could be about now. Her mother wasn't exactly the   
type to keep secrets from her.  
  
"Your father and I may have a rather big announcement for you here in about a month or two.   
He's made me promise not to say anything about it to you until things are all in place, but when   
the time comes, we'll tell you."  
  
'An announcement? What on Earth could they be hiding from me? Why don't I like this? Oh   
Kou-chan, I wish you were here...'  
  
****************************************************************  
  
Homecoming. Of all the times of the year to be alone, this was one of the worst. The dance was   
a month away, and Izzy didn't know what to do, or even if he wanted to do anything for that   
matter.  
  
"Izzy, how you've been acting isn't healthy. You ought to come to the dance, if not with someone   
then at least alone. We can all hang and have fun together." tai said, trying to lift his spirits.  
  
"No thanks, Tai..." Izzy said quietly as he picked at his lunch some more.  
  
"Izzy, you've got us all worried sick. You have to get past this, none of us knows if or when Mimi   
will be back in Japan." Sora told him. "Can't you cheer up a little?"   
  
"Maybe. No. I-I just don't know anymore, Sora. Nothing makes sense to me anymore."  
  
"Izzy..."  
  
"Guys, I just...I can't take this right now."  
  
Izzy grabbed his backpack and left the cafeteria, his lunch untouched. The remaining four around   
the table fell silent at his departure.  
  
"I can't imagine what he's going through right now." Yuki said as she reached for Tai's hand,   
squeezing it firmly. "I don't know what I'd do if I were so far away from the person I loved."  
  
"None of us do, Yuki, and for that matter none of us has any kind of frame of reference for this   
kind of thing either." Matt added with a sigh. "The only thing we can do is hope he gets past this   
on his own somehow."  
  
The day dragged on for Izzy, and after school that day he found himself wandering by Yolei's   
family's store yet again. He headed in and started looking around, though he had nothing he   
wanted to buy right now. On hearing the customer bell, Yolei emerged from the back and took   
her position at the register.  
  
"Irasshaimase...Izzy! I haven't seen you around here for a little while." Yolei said, stepping out   
from behind the counter.  
  
"Hi Yolei." Izzy said, his tone of voice betraying his depression.  
  
"Sounds to me like you came her to shop for some help, not a toothbrush." Yolei said, folding her   
arms as she leaned against the counter.  
  
"Homecoming is coming up, and I've got no idea what to do."  
  
"Ooo...tough one. Don't know if I can help you out there, Izzy. Sorry."  
  
"Yeah, I know. I'm grasping at straws at this point. Thanks anyway, Yolei. See ya."  
  
"Okay, Izzy. Gee, too bad there's no way you could see Mimi over the Internet you know?"  
  
"Yeah, that's too..."  
  
Yolei's words were like a ray of clear light into Izzy's mind. He quickly processed all of what she   
said, and it dawned on him.  
  
"There is a way...! There IS a way!" he said, beginning to rave a bit. He paced back and forth as   
his mind raced to make the configurations he'd need. He ran over and hugged Yolei tightly.   
"Yolei! I'd kiss you, but then Ken would kill me! This is great! You're pure genius!"  
  
"Ack! Izzy...can't...breathe..." Yolei gasped as he squeezed her. Izzy set her down after that.  
  
"Sorry! I have to go! I have plans to make!" he told her as he ran out of the store. Yolei just   
shook her head, wondering what in the world he could be planning this time.  
  
Izzy almost took the door off its hinges as he got home. He was in luck today, his father was   
home early. Izzy set his stuff down and approached his father, trying not to look like a madman.  
  
"Dad, I need to talk to you. I want to ask about getting an advance in my allowance. A major   
advance..."  
  
************************************************************  
  
USAflowrgrl: Do you think this will work, Kou-chan?  
  
MasterIzE: It has to, Mimi-chan. Just follow the instructions I e-mailed you word for word.  
  
USAflowrgrl: I don't know. I've never been really technically inclined, and this looks awfully   
complicated.  
  
MasterIzE: You can do it, love. I know you can. I'm signing off for now to put things together on   
my end.  
  
USAflowrgrl: Okay. Good luck, my love!  
  
Izzy powered his computer down after signing off and set to his task. Six thousand miles away,   
Mimi did likewise as she pulled her computer apart. Both of them worked feverishly, installing   
and then configuring parts that Izzy had bought with every bit of money he'd been able to scrap   
together. He'd express mailed the parts to Mimi, and had gone over instructions and   
configurations with her for the past couple of days until they had everything down. After about an   
hour's worth of work, Izzy had his computer back online again, a couple of new programs running   
and two new pieces of hardware sitting around him: a small video camera mounted on his   
monitor, and a microphone by his mouse. He sat watching his screen, biting his lip nervously.  
  
"C'mom, Mimi, you can do this..." he said quietly. After several long, tense minutes, a picture   
sprung up inside of the program he had running. He could tell it was live, because the camera   
was constantly refreshing its view. Mimi's head poked up from under her desk as she looked at   
her screen.  
  
"Is it working?" she said loud enough for her microphone to pick up. The sound came through a   
little distorted, but nonetheless audible.  
  
"Can you hear me?" Izzy said into his microphone.  
  
"Kou-chan?" Mimi said as she sat in her chair again.  
  
"It's been a while, Mimi-chan. How're you doing?"  
  
"As well as can be expected, I guess. I can't believe it, I can actually see and hear you!"  
  
"The miracle of modern telecommunications."  
  
"How much did all of this cost you?"  
  
"Believe me, Mimi, I'd have spent even more if it meant being able to just see and hear you   
again."  
  
"You're so sweet. This is a lot better than a chatroom, you know. Wish we'd thought of this   
sooner."  
  
"Yeah, well I've been a bit mopey and dull since you left."  
  
"About the same here, really. Hey, you should get everyone else over to see this so we can all   
say hi."  
  
"Maybe another time, right now I'm feeling greedy."  
  
"Oh, really?"  
  
"Yeah, I just want you all to myself."  
  
"Same here, Kou-chan. Same here." Mimi said as she touched her screen a little, wishing even   
more now that she could be with him. "So, how go plans for Homecoming?"  
  
"I'm not going. I can't bring myself to do it without you, Mimi-chan."  
  
"You should go, Kou-chan. Neither of us can keep ourselves bottled up like this forever, no   
matter how much it pains us to be apart."  
  
"Believe me, being able to see and hear you again...that's a homecoming for me and then some."  
  
"I know. I feel the same."  
  
"So how's your family doing?"  
  
"Okay, though mom and dad sure are being secretive these days."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Mom told me that they're going to have some kind of announcement in a month or so. I've got   
no idea what it is, though, and they won't drop any clues for me either."  
  
"Do you think it's serious?"  
  
"Could be. It's starting to make me nervous, Kou-chan."  
  
"It'll be okay, I'm sure it will. So, that's America, eh? Doesn't look so much different from Japan."  
  
"Oh believe me, it's different."  
  
"Tell me more."  
  
The two continued to talk away for hours over their new connection. It still wasn't the same as   
being together, but it was as close as they could get. 


	9. No More Tears in Heaven

"The school was just on the phone, they say everything should transfer just fine. I guess my   
company talked to them as well and were able to convince them to help us out. They probably   
promised a donation of some sort is my guess."  
  
"That's good to know. And the house?"  
  
"All lined up. There's just a little more paperwork to push through and then we can tell her."  
  
"I hope she'll be okay with this."  
  
"She's a strong girl, she'll be just fine."  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
A month or so had passed by, and Mimi was talking it up with Izzy yet again on their new   
connection. Apparently, the Odaiba High School soccer team had won their championship a   
while back, and it was still the talk of the town. The only thing that interrupted them was her   
father's voice from downstairs.  
  
"Mimi, dear, could you come downstairs for a moment? We need to have a family talk." her   
father called to her upstairs.  
  
"Be down in a sec, Dad!" Mimi called back. She said her goodbyes to Izzy quickly and headed   
downstairs, hopping onto the couch as she looked up at her parents. "What's up?"  
  
"Mimi, it's time for that announcement I told you about, dear." her mother said. Mimi noted the   
seriousness in her mother's voice and stood up. her stomach felt a bit queasy, but she braced   
herself for the news, whatever it was.  
  
"First off, I have a confession to make." her father said. "Remember our vacation to Japan a   
couple of months back?"  
  
"Yes, what about it?" Mimi asked.  
  
"Well, it wasn't really a vacation. It was a business trip." her father told her.  
  
"A business trip? I don't get it."  
  
"I've gotten a promotion in my company, Mimi."  
  
"Wow! Congratulations, Dad! That's great!"  
  
"That's not the announcement, though." her father said, cutting her celebration short. "See, I   
actually was offered the promotion a while back, but it was contingent on one condition that I   
needed to be certain of."  
  
"What condition?" Mimi asked. The look on her father's face began to tell it to her even before he   
spoke the words. Her eyes widened, and her heart seemed to skip a beat.  
  
"Our moving back to Japan." he said. "To Odaiba, actually."  
  
"That's why we took that trip, so your father could see if he really wanted to take the promotion."   
her mother said.  
  
"I know you've made some good friends over here, Mimi, but believe me this is for the best..." her   
father began to say as he delivered the speech he'd prepared ahead of time. Mimi interrupted   
him by just hugging him tightly, overcome with happiness.  
  
"No need to explain, Dad! I'll start packing right away!" she said. She gave him a big kiss on the   
cheek and then headed back upstairs to set to her task.  
  
"Well, that was rather well received." her father said as he sat back down.  
  
"Stupid damn machine, wake up faster!!" Mimi said, coming close to kicking her computer. Her   
hands flew on the keyboard once she was online. Izzy was long gone by now, so she shot him   
an e-mail and then powered down her computer one last time. She began to dismantle it and put   
the various parts aside for boxing.  
  
"I won't need you anymore!" she said triumphantly to the pile of computer parts. "Not when I'll be   
able to have my Kou-chan with me for real...and this time, forever."  
  
*****************************************************  
  
When Izzy returned to his computer he checked his e-mail first, only to see one message to him   
from Mimi. There was no subject, and the message was very brief and strange.  
  
To: MasterIzE@yahoo.co.jp  
Subject:  
  
I won't be reachable for a while here, Kou-chan. Something urgent has come up. I don't   
know how long it'll all take, but I promise to get back in touch with you ASAP. All my love,   
Mimi.  
  
"Great. Just great. Here I'd been planning on spending Homecoming online with her, and now   
she'll probably miss it. Oh well, I'll live I suppose." he muttered to himself. He got up from his   
computer and headed for the door, deciding to talk a short walk around. As he walked, he   
passed by all the familiar sights, including a newly constructed house that had been up for sale   
for some time. A real estate agent was busy replacing the "For Sale" sign with a "Sold" sign.  
  
"So someone finally bought that house?" he said to himself. "Another new face for the   
neighborhood. I'll have to keep an eye out for the moving van. Maybe I can get the others to   
help out welcoming the new folks. That'd be a neighborly thing to do."  
  
Izzy headed back to his place a bit after that and started calling around and rounding up help for   
whenever the movers did show up. The last person he talked to was Tai.  
  
"Sounds good to me, so long as they don't show up on a school day." Tai said though the phone.   
"Though I gotta say, this is pretty spontaneous for you, Izzy."  
  
"Yeah, well Mimi keeps telling me I need to be more active and outgoing. I just thought she'd be   
proud to see me taking some initiative is all." Izzy told him.  
  
"Hey, I can think of worse reasons to do stuff."  
  
"Thought you'd see it that way. Man, I'd love to see Mimi's reaction when she finds out what I'm   
doing. She'll probably be amazed."  
  
Izzy said his goodbyes to Tai after that and then went to the TV, deciding to watch something with   
his family for a change. He idly looked over to his computer for a moment, but then turned back   
to the show on TV.  
  
"Izzy? You feeling okay, son? You're not at your computer tonight." his father asked, looking   
over at him. Izzy just nodded in response as he relaxed with his family.  
  
"Dad, I don't think I've ever felt better."  
  
****************************************************************  
  
A week passed, and Izzy hadn't heard anything more from Mimi. He could only assume   
everything was okay, though he worried that maybe there was a family emergency of some sort   
she had to tend to. He figured he'd get the straight story from her as soon as she was available   
next. Besides which, he had other things on his mind today.  
  
The moving trucks has finally shown up at the new house, and Izzy made haste to gather up   
everyone who'd volunteered to help out. A short time later, Tai, Yuki, Kari, TK, Davis, Matt and   
Sora all joined him down in front of the house.  
  
"Thanks for making it, guys." Izzy said, greeting them all.  
  
"No prob. So when do we get started?" Matt asked as he rolled up his sleeves.  
  
"The family hasn't shown up yet. I guess they're still on their way by taxi, and the movers won't   
open the trucks until they get here." Izzy told him.  
  
"These trucks sure are huge! Whoever this is must have a lot of stuff." Davis said, eyeing the   
behemoth vehicles.  
  
"Well, they'll get here sooner or later. Let's just hang loose for now." Tai suggested. Everyone   
else agreed, and they spread out a bit, waiting for the family to arrive. About a half hour later,   
Sora spotted a taxi making its way slowly to the house.  
  
"Guys! I think this is them!" she called out. Everyone stood up and gathered around the curb as   
the taxi stopped. Izzy stepped up front, straightening himself up a bit. He started his pitch as the   
car's doors opened.  
  
"Hi there! Welcome to the neighborhood. We thought you might like...some..."  
  
Izzy's voice trailed off as the first of the car's passengers stepped out and smiled at him, brushing   
back some of her long brown hair as she straightened out her pink t-shirt.  
  
"Hello there, Izzy." Mimi said.  
  
"Mimi?? I-I-I...I don't understand. What're you doing here?" Izzy asked, utterly stunned.  
  
"I live here now." Mimi told him. "Sorry for the abrupt disconnection there, but things came   
together kinda fast. I'll explain it all later, trust me."  
  
"Wow. Talk about irony." TK said, shaking off his amazement. "Izzy got us all together to help   
the new family move their stuff in, and here we're ending up helping an old friend move back in!"  
  
"You're kidding!" Mimi said, walking up to Izzy. "You organized all this?"  
  
"Well, yeah...just wanted to do something nice for someone, you know?" Izzy said, scratching his   
head a bit.  
  
"You are absolutely the sweetest person on the face of this planet." Mimi said in amazement.   
She grabbed hold of him quickly, kissing him deeply. The others gave out a "wooo" as they   
watched the couple kiss.  
  
"Some hot stuff there guys!" Kari cheered. The two broke off the kiss a moment later, blushing a   
little at everyone's cheering them on.  
  
"Ahem...Well then, shall we get to work guys?" Izzy asked. Everyone cheered in unison and   
headed for the trucks, which were now opening up as Mimi's parents approached, greeting Izzy   
as well. Mimi sighed contentedly to herself as she looked over the whole scene again. She   
reached for Izzy's hand, squeezing it as she found it. The strains of the song Matt had sung for   
them so long ago now came back to her, and she could only think of how fitting it was for the two   
of them as she headed into the house with her family, and her beloved Kou-chan.  
  
~o/  
Beyond the door  
There's peace I'm sure  
And I know  
There'll be no more  
Tears in heaven  
/o~ 


End file.
